Valkyrie Nights
by Michael2
Summary: Eight years after the crash of an alien spaceship, a new prototype aircraft is being tested on a base located at the crash site. Follow the story of one of the test pilots, and those around him.
1. Chapter 1

The landing gear tires of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules make contact with the concrete of the runway, and the cargo jet slows from one hundred fifty knots to a speed that a man can run. It parks at a taxiway near the terminal of an air station.

Ground crews roll a portable stairway to the portside door. The door opens, and one of the people that step out is U.N. Spacy First Lieutenant Roy Fokker. Carrying a duffel bag, he walks down the stairs before his feet step on the concrete.

_And just a week ago I was aboard ARMD-13, _he thinks.

He glances to this huge object in the distance. This is clearly the centerpiece of the whole island, let alone the base. Squeezed in with cranes and scaffolding is a huge spaceship that crashed here eight years ago, designated as Alien Starship 1 (ASS-1).

His billed service cap keeps his blond hair from being blown about by an afternoon breeze coming in from the Pacific Ocean. Having experienced base transfers since his days with the United States Navy, he knows where to go.

A blue shuttle van drops him off at the base housing office, just a quarter of a mile from the air terminal. It is a small building, much smaller than barracks where ground-based Spacy crewmen sleep.

The lobby of the base housing office is small, with several padded chairs. Posters decorate the lobby, a few of them being pictures of the base, and others being recruitment posters. At the service window are brochures informing newcomers of the amenities of the base as well as guides to Macross City, the city that sprung up around the alien star ship.

Roy stands at the window. After signing some paperwork, he receives keys and a map showing where his quarters will be. In his case, he is staying at the BOQ- the quarters reserved for bachelor officers with no dependents.

He turns and sees a man dressed in a uniform much like his. The man's uniform is olive green, and his brown hair is cropped short.

"Jarhead," he says. "It has been such a long time."

"And how are you, squid?" asks the man.

"Just got here. I supposed to be a test pilot. Top secret."

"Me too."

U.N. Space Marine Major Angus Beckett greets his longtime friend. He had known Roy since before the formation of the United Earth Forces, during the peak of the worldwide war now known as the Global Civil War.

"And how is…?" Roy begins to ask.

"Maribel and I are getting along great," replies Angus. "She and the kids are waiting. I'd better line up and register."

"I heard people married with kids get a bigger house."

"With my family, it's still crowded."

"0900 tomorrow. See you then."

Ooooooooo

Roy's quarters on base are what he expected- a small studio apartment. The coffee table sofas, and plasma television adorn the living area. In the back are two beds.

_At least it's bigger than my old quarters on ARMD-13. I bunked with three other men. _

Roy unpacks his duffel bag and unbuttons his coat. He hears the door open. A man in a white Class A uniform steps in.

"So we'll be sharing a room together," says Roy.

"Lieutenant Eddie Marsden," says the man.

"Lieutenant Roy Fokker," replies Roy. He looks at Marsden's badges and pins. "UNOP, eh."

"Yeah, we're the blokes who patrol the world's seven seas."

Roy removes his Class A service uniform and puts on the khaki pants of his more comfortable khaki service uniform. He can see through the window that it is late afternoon. "I'm going to get some stuff at the commissary," he says.

After renting a Toyota Tercel at the base's rental car service, he parks at the commissary parking lot. The commissary itself is a large building, and its main entrance is a set of automated glass doors. Roy can see that the interior is lit by bright fluorescent lamps. Taking a shopping cart and entering, he walks along the aisles, checking the prices, which are usually cheaper than Safeway or A & P.

The cart's wheels squeaking as they roll along the smooth floor, they suddenly stop when Roy pulls back on the shopping cart. The lieutenant had made eye contact with a woman on the produce aisle. Tightly curled black hair, thick lips, and khaki uniform with a silver bar on the collar. For three seconds Roy is speechless.

"Why hello Claudia," Roy manages to say.

"Roy Fokker," replies Second Lieutenant Claudia Grant. "Doing a little shopping?"

"Huh?"

"That's why you're here."

"Of course," says Roy. "I notice you're not a butter bar anymore."

"I got promoted before being assigned to this Earth side base," replies Claudia. "If you want milk, it's just around the corner."

"Listen, Claudia…"

"I have to go get these groceries home," she says before pushing the shopping cart towards the checkout stands.

Roy picks up a can of Campbell's Beef Stew that happened to be on sale. After picking up a few more things, he proceeds to the checkout aisle. A young lady standing at the register smiles at him.

"You know, someone who looked like you was here earlier," says the lady. "He said he worked in construction of that alien ship. I'm in the Spacy Reserves- a crewman first class. I should ring you up."

"Sure," says Roy.

After paying the cashier, Roy walks out to the parking lot towards the Toyota Tercel he rented for things such as picking up groceries. As he packs the groceries, he sees a man looking at him.

And he sees the man wearing silver eagle pins. The nametag on his uniform reads "SHANG"

Roy salutes. Captain Shang then turns and salutes. Roy looks and sees a rear admiral walking by. The admiral returns their salutes. Shang then turns to Roy.

"You should be quick on the salute, flyboy," says the Spacy captain. "If you can't be quick on the salute, how can you be quick to react in combat flying?" Shang then lowers his arm, and Roy does the same.

_What a way to start your first day here. Don't screw up when you report for duty 0900._

Oooooooooo

_Ironically, you have more space on Earth side duty than deep space duty._

Claudia Grant unlocks the door to the one-story townhouse that she had been assigned just days ago. She enters what she considers to be a typical living room, with couches and tables and a bookcase and a wide screen plasma television.

"Claudia," says a teenage boy coming out from the bedroom.

"Vince," says Claudia, setting down some of the groceries that she had purchased earlier. "How was your day?"

"Great. How's yours?"

"I met up with some old friends," she says. She walks to the answering machine and presses the play button. A female voice comes from the speaker.

"Claudia, this is Lisa," says the voice. "Commander Yamada's assigned me to the late shift. I won't be back until about 2200."

"You getting ready for school?" asks Claudia.

"Yeah, I wonder what it's like here," says Vince. "It's not like this is a country."

"There are a couple of military brats already attending school in Macross City. Anyway, I'd better prepare something to cook."

oooooooo

The test pilots for Project Valkyrie all gather inside a large room on the third floor of a building. The runways are easily visible from the room. All of the pilots are dressed in Class A's.

Three men dressed in Class A's enter the room, and all of the test pilots salute. While saluting is usually not done without a cover, it is done when first reporting for duty to a new station.

The time is 0900.

_The guy's punctual, _Roy thinks.

"Good morning," says the ranking man, his English harshly accented. "I am Major General Ahmadu Sako, United Nations Space Marines. I welcome you to Project Valkyrie. To my right is my aide, U.N. Air Force Colonel Edwards. We are here to test a new type of aircraft with capabilities you have not even heard of. We have finished preliminary testing in the wind tunnels. Now we are ready for test flight operations. I will show you what you will be flying."

The general leads the test pilots out of the building and to a hangar where several people in overalls are working. Suspended by cables is a one-seat airplane, with VF-X on the tail.

"This is the veritech fighter," says General Sako.

"Looks impressive," says one of the men, speaking with a thick Australian accent.

"You're about to see what it can do, Commander Cramer," says Colonel Edwards.

"Switch this plane into Guardian mode," says General Sako.

"Yes, sir," replies a technician, who immediately presses a button on a remote control.

The sight that greets the men amazes them.

The engines fold down from the fuselage. Something also folds out from beneath the plane, revealing a pair of…hands.

Sako looks. The sight never ceases to amaze him, even though he had seen it many times during the early tests. Arms and legs had folded out of the aircraft.

"Wow," says another pilot. "Was this made in Japan."

"This is out of an anime," says another pilot.

"This is not even the half of it," says General Sako. "Switch to Battloid mode."

"Yes, sir," replies the technician with the remote control.

The airplane seems to fold in on itself. The feet of the legs touch the ground and a head emerges. The airplane now looks like a giant robot or a suit of armor.

"Whoa," says Major Angus Beckett. His mind's eye can see what such an airplane can be used for.

"What you see here is an aerospace craft powered by thermonuclear reaction furnaces," says the technician. "We would not have made this possible without the robotechnology from the alien star ship."

"Robo…what?" asks Roy.

"Robotechnology," says Sako. "It is from an alien word we believe refers to the advanced technology."

"You sure it's not the word they use for toilet?" asks another pilot.

"It would be a very big toilet," says the general, smiling. "We'll show you why."

Oooooooo

Roy sits down on a desk in the briefing room, learning why toilets on board the alien ship would be very big.

"The ship was designed for a crew of average height of forty-feet," says the scientist, a man clad in a white coat.

"Forty feet?" asks one of the men. "How are we supposed to fight them?"

"The veritechs were designed for that," says General Sako. "You know about Destroids, that is why they were designed as well. For close-quarters combat with these giants. Veritechs do have an advantage of being able to arrive and leave quickly. In a space amphibious assault these would be tip of the spear. Of course, that is just theoretical. We must test these planes, and that is where you gentlemen come in."

"Do we go out and fly these things, sir?" asks Major Beckett.

"No, first you go under a medical exam," replies the general.

ooooooooo

_Here's my first lunch at school._

Vince Grant carries the tray and walks along Macross City High School's cafeteria. It is a stereotypical cafeteria, with benches and tables much like cafeterias back in America. Like Vince, everyone is dressed in a uniform- a black coat, white shirt with black tie, and either black slacks for boys or a plaid skirt for girls.

_Amazing how ordinary everything looks even though we only blocks from an alien starship. _

Finding an empty seat, the fifteen-year-old sits down. He briefly ponders his first day at school. Most of the kids attending this school speak different languages; he guesses that they come from places like eastern Europe and western Africa and southeast Asia. There are very few students from America, from what he can deduce.

The people at the table he is sitting at speak this foreign language that sounds Russian. Vince sees a boy with close-cropped blond hair, and the girl sitting next to him has long blond hair.

"You should sit over there," says the girl, speaking in an eastern European accent. "With the Nigerians."

Vince walks over to the table that the girl referred to. The kids here all have tightly curled black hair, thick lips, and dark skin. Their speech gives away the fact that they are from somewhere in Africa.

"Hello," says Vince after swallowing the entrée. "I'm Vince."

"David," says one of the boys, who appear to be about sixteen.

"I'm new here."

"Where are you from?" asks David, speaking in heavily accented English.

"South Carolina. It's in America."

"America." David speaks with a girl about his age. "My family moved me here from Nigeria three years ago."

Vince eats quietly, looking at these people who would likely be his classmates. He eventually finishes his food.

"It was nice to meet you, David," says Vince.

David wraps his arm around the girl's waist. "Just because you look like us does not mean you are one of us."

_Charming fellow._ Vince gets up and leaves the cafeteria, going towards the schoolyard. Many students mill about the schoolyard, and brick buildings house the classrooms.

"I heard you're from America," says a male voice.

Vince turns and sees a boy with blond hair.

"I'm from America too," says the boy. "I'm Zack Bauer. My dad, he's in the Ocean Patrol and is XO on the _Prometheus_."

"Vince Grant," says Vince, extending his hand. "I live with my sister; she's in the Spacy. She works with air traffic control. I just got here a few days ago"

"Welcome to Macross City High School," says Zack, shaking his hand. "We military brats gotta stick together."

"Right."

"What you gotta remember, Vince is that each group sticks with its own kind. Nigerians, Ukrainians, Vietnamese. When I first started going here last year, many of the teachers thought I was Ukrainians, 'cause of my blond hair."

A bell rings, signaling the end of lunch and warning the students to get to their next class. "Got to get to class, Vince. Catch you later."

Ooooooooo

"Before we send you up in those planes," says Colonel Edwards, "you each got to learn everything about them, inside and out. These syllabi are classified. Remove them from this room, and your next assignment is the brig."

Roy looks at a syllabus that an Air Force corporal had given him. It is titled: Veritech Fighter Prototype. There are tables of information, as well as technical specs.

_Of course, the capabilities are only theoretical. _

Fokker recalls his days at the U.S. Navy Accelerated Flight School nine years ago. He had been eighteen then, fresh out of a small community in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Once out of basic training in Illinois, he went through a twenty-five week course in operating the F/A-18 Hornet. It was a crash course for some people…

He had been commissioned as an ensign upon his graduation, and was immediately deployed to an active duty fighter squadron.

"Remember, gentlemen," continues Edwards, "this information can save your life." He inserts a disc into a Sony DVD player hooked up to a Sony color plasma television. The plasma screen then shows images of the wind tunnel tests as well as close-ups of the transformations.

Ooooooooooo

Lieutenant Claudia Grant looks and sees a red-haired man enter the control tower.

"Tower's yours, Sam," says Claudia. Lieutenant Sam Milliome looks at the radar screens and radio consoles that allow the crew to direct air traffic to and from the base.

Claudia steps out of the building. The sun hangs low to the west. She can see an open hangar and a bunch of people gathering inside.

_That's Project Valkyrie. I wonder if I should check on Roy. _

She walks across the tarmac of the airfield. The airfield is not that big, only the size of a municipal airport. Besides, she could use the exercise.

After some inquiry, she had learned that a bunch of test pilots were just recently stationed here on the same day she met Roy back at the base commissary. Looking into the hangar, she can see a huge aircraft suspended from cables, with its engines folded downward.

_I wonder what that's for._

Her attention is then diverted to the blond-haired man standing in front of the aircraft whose innards are exposed.

"Hello there, Roy," she says.

"Hello there, yourself," replies Roy. He turns and sees who is talking to him. "Oh, hi Claudia. I can't believe it's you."

"Well, don't believe it, Roy," she replies. "It's only because I have some things to return to you." She takes out some small gift boxes she had received from the aviator so many years ago, when they were stationed at an airfield in Wyoming.

Roy recognizes the gift boxes. "I don't get this. Why are you returning this stuff now? Huh? Well, if you say so. No one can win them all. Except for this honey. It's the prototype for the new veritech fighter that our engineers have just developed. It's firepower and speed are greater than any robotech fighter in existence. And I'll be the very first pilot to test her out." Straws had been drawn to determine who would be the first, and Roy's straw was drawn. "Just thinking about flying this baby makes my head spin, Claudia."

"Goodbye, Roy."

"Huh?" asks Roy, confused. "Goodbye, Claudia? Don't leave yet."

The air traffic control officer is walking away _fast_ from the hangar.

The sense of euphoria wears off. _I'm going to be flying a plane that has never been flown before. What if the wind tunnel tests were wrong? _

ooooooo

The Tomahawk Destroid is a large bipedal suit of armor, operated by one driver. It had been one of the earliest of its kind, the first models going into production just two years after the arrival of the alien star ship. It is equipped with a vast array of weapons that include two heavy beam cannons, three missile launchers, two machine guns, and a gun cluster in the chest.

The image of one of these Tomahawks appears on a 24-inch Toshiba plasma color television screen. The scene is a U.N. base in central Africa for peacekeeping forces.

Major Angus Beckett lies on the bed, watching the latest news.

"You could have been there," says his wife Maribel, a woman with shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair.

"Some of the people I served with _are_ there," replies the Space Marine test pilot. "Yeah, in Africa, the end of the Global War didn't bring peace."

"We still got a lot of things to unpack."

They and their children had just been assigned to this house, due to Angus's grade as well as the number of dependents. The house has two levels with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, a typical housing assignment for a field grade Space Marine officer.

"Right now, we should think about what to do around here on my time off," says Angus. "We can stroll around the downtown, or take a cruise to Haha-jima."

"What do you do?"

"Test pilot. Not much to say though, except what we're testing is brand new."

"I like men with a little mystery in them."

A twinkle appears in Angus's eye. "I'm shocked, honey."


	2. Chapter 2

United Nations Spacy Air Station Macross City has an air traffic control tower. Air traffic control is responsible for directing the dozens of aircraft and spacecraft that fly in and out of the base every day.

Inside a briefing room located one level below the air traffic control station, U.N. Spacy Commander Richard Yamada briefs his subordinates. A tall thin man wearing glasses along with service khakis, he is responsible for all air traffic control operations on the base. He knows about Project Valkyrie, though not the specifics.

"A test flight is scheduled today at 1000," says the commander. "You have all been briefed on emergency procedures, and it goes without saying that we will have to be 150 ready." Yamada looks at the clock; it is 0930. "They're probably doing the pre-flight check list. Hayes, you're with me."

"Aye aye, sir," replies First Lieutenant Lisa Hayes, an air traffic control officer who had been assigned to Macross City not long ago.

Ooooooooo

_At least I get double flight pay._

Lieutenant Roy Fokker checks the instrument panel of the prototype veritech aerospace craft. He had been briefed on the instrument panel yesterday. It is similar to the F-203 Dragon aerospace fighter, with a few new instruments that deal with the veritech's guardian and battloid mode.

"Everything checks out okay," the test pilot says into the microphone of his headset.

"Okay, I'm transferring you to tower control," says Major General Ahmadu Sako.

Roy taxis the aircraft along one of the taxiways that parallel the runway. He looks at the three levers marked "B", "G", and "F". This test flight would be in fighter mode only; he is not allowed to switch modes.

Inside the tower, Commander Yamada looks at the aircraft that is waiting to take off.

_Doesn't look much different than an F-203Dragon_, he thinks. _At least from here._

"You are cleared for takeoff on Runway 2," says the air traffic controller.

"Copy that," replies Fokker. He taxis the plane to Runway 2, and then pushes the throttle. Reaction mass is violently expelled from the main thrusters as well as the tail thrusters. The plane picks up airspeed, and soon the air lifts the wings up, and the veritech up with it. The island is soon replaced with the clear blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

"Eaglet's in the air," says Roy. He checks the instrument panel. "Everything looks fine up here."

Inside Project Valkyrie's command center, General Sako and his aides all watch the monitors and listen to the radio transmissions. Project Valkyrie is a joint services project; people from the Spacy, Space Marines, Air Force, and Ocean Patrol assist the Space Marine general.

"Sir, Eaglet's now one hundred clicks north of here," says a young officer in her early twenties.

Up in the air, Roy looks to his right. From the high altitude, he can see the rest of the Ogasawara Islands, including Haha-jima with its port town of Oki-mura, and Chichi-jima, with Futami Harbor looking like a toy model. Wisps of clouds lightly kiss the wings. He performs basic aerial maneuvers. They had been simulated in a wind tunnel. But wind tunnel tests are not entirely accurate.

_Handling's a _little _rough around the edges. I guess that's the effect of the transformation mechanisms. _

"Eaglet, this is nest," says General Sako. "Return to base."

"Copy that," says Roy. Checking his navigation instruments, he sets course for Macross City. Soon Macross City is visible.

"Tower, this is Eaglet," says Roy. "Requesting permission to land."

"You are cleared for landing on Runway 2," replies the air traffic controller.

"Copy that."

The island appears to get bigger and bigger as the plane approaches. Roy keeps an extra eye on the instruments. Nothing indicates that there are any problems with the plane's mechanical system.

He pulls down a lever to lower the landing gear. He can see the runway, and the vehicles near the runway, all looking tiny.

One thousand. Eight hundred. Six hundred. Four hundred.

The veritech passes over the shoreline and then over the concrete surface of the runway. The rubber tires of the main landing gears make contact. Two seconds later, the nose landing gear makes contact. Roy applies reverse thrusters, slowing the experimental aircraft to a speed that a man can run.

He parks the veritech at Project Valkyrie's hangar. A Jeep pulls up.

Roy Fokker climbs down the aircraft, and salutes General Sako as soon as he touches the ground. On the inside, he feels that he can dance for twelve hours nonstop.

"You will go to my office for the debriefing, Lieutenant," says Sako. He looks at the other men who rode with him in the Jeep. "Get the flight recorder and have it examined."

Ooooooooo

_Do I have a propensity for self-abuse?_

Claudia is once again walking towards the Project Valkyrie hangar. She had heard about the test flight, and presumably Roy was up there in the new veritech fighter.

As she approaches the hangar, she notices that the people in there are not working. They are dancing.

_Maybe Roy will have time to talk to me. _

She walks to the hangar entrance, and stops.

She can see Roy dancing with three other women. And they seem very close; one of the women is holding his arm.

_No use talking to him. _

Someone inside the hangar is in a more talkative mood.

"You sure know how to bloody party, roomie," says Lieutenant Eddie Marsden.

"It's one of the things I learned back in the U.S. Navy," says Roy.

"Were you in the Navy?" asks Spacy Lieutenant Sally Mayfield, one of the technical officers for Project Valkyrie.

"The British Royal Navy," replies Marsden. "Now U.N. Ocean Patrol. One of the older pilots here, Commander Archibald Cramer, he was in the Aussie Royal Navy from down under. He was an astronaut, back in the day before the Global War. I wonder when I'll get my bloody turn to fly these things."

"We'll all get our turn," says Major Angus Beckett, sipping on a Coke.

Oooooooo

"You really should come with us, Claudia," says Lieutenant Lisa Hayes.

"I don't know," replies Claudia, zipping up the zipper on the back of Lisa's black dress.

"The girls on the base are all organizing this trip to the club."

"But what about…?"

"Karl's back up in Mars." Lisa and Claudia had been on Mars during shore leave just six months ago. "A lot of the girls we're going with are unattached, so they can get any attention that comes my way."

Claudia thinks about Roy, about seeing him dancing with those girls a few days ago. "I can come along, Lisa. Vince is out with his friends."

"Not in those khakis," says Lisa. "You need yourself a dress, girl."

Fifteen minutes later, Claudia and Lisa are in a huge van packed with girls from the base. The van enters a huge concrete parking structure. The driver drives the van up four levels before finding an empty parking spot.

"It's full," says one of the girls.

"It's Friday evening and all of the troops from the base are out tonight to par-ty," says the driver.

"Whooo hooo!"

Claudia takes another look at the girls she had gone along with.

_Wasn't one of them dancing in the hangar with Roy after his first test flight with that ver-tick?_

The girls take an elevator to the third level. They then cross a concrete pedestrian bridge and then pass through sliding doors. They go down an escalator, with posters advertising clubs and restaurants, and descend into the Bright Star Casino.

Casino gambling is legal in Macross City, like other territories directly governed by the United Nations. The Bright Star Casino was built three years ago, sharing the building with a Hyatt hotel. Locals and tourists alike play the games, betting their hard-earned money. The electronic sounds of the slot machines echo through the huge room.

"You sure you got us a table, Cammie?" asks one of the girls. "I mean, I don't wanna stand around being squeezed in by everyone."

"Don't worry," says Cammie. "I made sure to make reservations."

Going up another escalator, the girls all arrive in a lobby. Velvet ropes lead up to the entrance of Space, the Bright Star Casino's nightclub. The girls all line up in the VIP line. The line is not terribly long, as it is only 9:30 P.M. Two mountains shaped like men keep watch.

"You should be lucky one of the girls had an unexpected graveyard shift," says Lisa.

"I guess," replies Claudia.

After paying a hefty cover charge, the girls all go in. The interior of the club contrasts with the casino downstairs. The club is dim, lit with colored lights. Claudia finds herself below one of the lights, and her skin shines red and blue. The bar appears to be made of granite, and video poker machines are built in. Claudia and Lisa sit at a table located on an outdoor balcony that overlooks the alien starship. A breeze from the Pacific Ocean blows in.

A blond-haired waitress approaches the girls. "May I take your order?" she asks in Ukrainian-accented English.

"We need wine," says Cammie, "and lots of it."

"Right away," replies the waitress.

More and more people enter the club during the next half hour.

"The club's getting full," says Cammie.

"That's nothing," replies Sally Mayfield. "In New York, you would have enough people to fill up the whole place at the time it opens."

"What is it that you do with Project Valkyrie, Sally?" asks Claudia.

"Most of it's classified, I can't tell you what the planes do, only that they can deliver a cosmic ass-kicking. But why talk about work here. Let's forget about all that stuff."

"I think it's time we start dancing."

The girls all walk to the wooden dance floor, holding hands like a chain. Some of the songs are songs none of them had heard before, others are familiar songs remixed to get people dancing. They and the others in the club dance their troubles away as much as they can.

After a few songs, they all head back to the table- or rather, push their way through the table, as the club is now full. Outside, a long line of people waits their turn to enter Space.

Claudia looks towards the dance floor as she sips the wine. She can see at least three tall men with blond hair.

_I must be seeing Roy everywhere I go. _

Roy Fokker stands about twelve feet away, though with this crowd, that might as well be five minutes.

"This place is bloody crowded," says Eddie Marsden, sipping Asahi from a bottle. It had taken him over ten minutes just to get this beer.

"Yeah, it's like we're being squeezed in together like a garbage compactor," says U.N. Air Force Second Lieutenant Chen, one of Project Valkyrie's test pilots. "And you, Fokker?"

"Trying to talk to a lady in here would be like trying to talk to a lady under a jet engine at maximum power," shouts Roy. He and his mates all have to shout just to be able to converse.

"Personally, Fokker, I prefer to meet girls for the first time over a nice cup of coffee in a quiet coffee shop, or over a beer in a dive bar. I mean, they need to feel comfortable and relaxed, and this ain't the place for that."

"Or we can go out to the casino and play some games," says Marsden.

"We'd probably lose twice as much money as we spent to get in here," says Roy. The money he had spent on the cover charge still leaves him feeling a little emptier.

"That lady over there," says Chen.

"That's Lieutenant Mayfield," says Marsden.

"No, that other lady sitting at the table wearing the green dress. I saw her in the hangar talking to Fokker here."

Roy peers past the crowd.

_That _is_ Claudia_. He can see her laughing as she talks with the other girls. _She isn't talking about me, that's for sure. Come on Fokker, there are other women here and downstairs in the casino._

Lisa and Claudia get up to go for a drink, not knowing that Roy had turned his attention away from Claudia. Squeezing their way through the crowd, they reach the bar. The bartender is taking orders from the patrons.

_Looks like we'll be waiting a while for our drinks,_ thinks Claudia.

She waits for seven minutes at the bar.

"Hello there," says a man.

Claudia looks at him. He has short curly black hair, and wears a blue shirt and black slacks and a gold chain around his neck.

"Hi there," she says.

"I notice you around," says the man, speaking in a Nigerian accent.

"Care for a dance?" she asks.

"More than that," the man replies. He takes out a wad of money. "We can go up to my room."

Claudia looks at the bartender, who gives her an Asahi beer. She then throws the beer at the man's face.

"If you want a hooker, go downtown," she snarls.

Ooooooooo

Around midnight, Lisa and Claudia sit inside the van as it goes through the streets of Macross City.

"We all had a great time, right ladies?" asks Sally Mayfield.

"Yeah," replies Claudia. _Except for the part about seeing Roy and the part about being mistaken for a Nigerian hooker. _

"Look at that," says Lisa. "A lot of traffic at this time."

Macross City does not have heavy traffic compared to cities like Tokyo or Moscow or New York City. A long line of taillights means something significant, like a traffic collision.

"I can see the cop cars," says the driver. "I wonder if it's an accident."

The reason for this backup in traffic is a body on the street, now being outlined with chalk.

Detective Bruno Fantone looks around the street. Most of the storefronts are closed, except for a bar and a nighclub on opposite sides of the street. Uniformed police officers stand guard, securing the site as the crime scene unit collects physical evidence.

"So what have we got here?" asks a man in his late thirties, dressed in a police uniform.

"Young man, late teens to early twenties," says Fantone, his Italian accent lay thick. "That tattoo on his left arm, he's from the Rolling '90's Rockers."

"Ukrainian," says Scott Bernard, the chief of the Macross City Police Department. "Any witnesses?"

"Yeah, Chief," replies the detective. "Couple of witnesses said that some Nigerians rode by in a blue Nissan and shot this man. They're right over there."

"They probably wouldn't have talked to us if they saw a Ukrainian shoot someone, even another Ukrainian," says the chief, looking to the witnesses Detective Fantone was talking about. "Just like how Nigerians don't rat out other Nigerians."

"We'll chalk this up as another 'banger getting capped," says Fantone, looking as the body is being put into a body bag and loaded into a van.

Bernard yawns. "I'd better be going back home to the wife and kids," says the police chief. "See you in the morning, Bruno."

Detective Fantone looks as Chief Bernard drives off in his official police car.

Ooooooooo

Lieutenant Claudia Grant sits inside the chair inside the air traffic control tower. The scene outside is dark, and Commander Yamada had assigned her the graveyard shift this Monday night. A Spacy staff sergeant aids her and the air traffic controllers- all enlistees- watch the radar screens.

"Ma'am, they're getting ready for takeoff," says one of the air traffic controllers, dressed in blue overalls.

"Acknowledged," replies Grant, dressed in her service khakis.

A few hundred yards away from the tower, the veritech prototype is prepared for takeoff. This time, its night maneuvers will be toasted.

"Everything looks fine," says Major Angus Beckett as he checks the backlit instrument gauges. "Tower, this is Eaglet. I am ready for takeoff."

"Copy that," replies the air traffic controller. "We have you cleared for Runway 3-2."

Beckett taxis the veritech onto the runway, and pushes the throttle for the main thermonuclear reaction engines. The reaction mass is violently expelled, propelling the plane forward, until the air flowing over the wings generates the necessary lift to rise into the air. Soon the veritech is above the Pacific Ocean.

"We're switching you over to Project Valkyrie control," says the air traffic controller.

"How are you doing, Eaglet?" asks General Sako.

"Plane's holding together," replies the test pilot. He looks around. He had flown at night many times before, including in low orbit around Earth. The Pacific Ocean is one dark expanse, with a concentration of bright lights indicating the location of Macross City, and other, dimmer lights indicating the locations of Hahi-jima and Chichi-jima. In the distance Angus can see the main Japanese islands.

_I would love to take you up here again, Maribel. _

"Airspeed is at six hundred knots," says Major Beckett.

"Push to Mach 1.5," says Sako.

Beckett pushes the throttle forward, and the veritech gains airspeed. The pilot glances at the instruments- unlike driving a car, flying an aerospace craft is often done looking only at the instruments. Indeed, there are times when one must rely _entirely_ on instruments just to operate an aircraft.

"I'm now at Mach 1.5," says Beckett, glancing at the airspeed indicator. He then glances at the engine instruments. "Everything seems to be okay. No warning lights."

"So far, so good," says General Sako.

Beckett maintains Mach 1.5 for five minutes. "I am now reducing airspeed and preparing for aerial maneuvers." He reduces thrust and watches as the airspeed indicator drops. "Okay, I'm at three hundred knots." He pulls back on the stick. He watches the attitude indicator. For a brief moment, the Pacific Ocean appears above him. He then pushes the stick to the right to perform a barrel roll. He then pushes the stick to the left to perform a barrel roll in the other direction.

"Okay, Eaglet," says Sako. "Return to base."

"Copy that," replies Beckett. He turns the plane around and heads straight towards Macross City, a shining beacon. He checks his navigation instruments. He lowers the flaps and then puts the landing gear down.

"Control, I have a situation here," says Beckett, his voice a little uneasy.

A warning light indicates that the nose landing gear is stuck.


	3. Chapter 3

"I repeat, I have a warning light," says Beckett

"I repeat, I have a warning light," says Major Angus Beckett. "Nose landing gear has failed to deploy."

He presses the test switch; the warning light is still on.

"How much fuel do you have, Eaglet?" asks General Sako.

"I can stay up for two hours," replies Beckett.

"I'm switching you over to tower control," says Sako.

"This is tower," says the air traffic controller.

"I have a Code Zero-Three-Eight," says the test pilot. He looks ahead. Macross City shines in the distance.

Inside the control tower, Lieutenant Claudia Grant takes the microphone. "We'll request a Dragon be sent up to check this out," she says. "Maybe it's a short circuit."

"Copy that," replies the test pilot.

An F-203 Dragon takes off. It looks very similar to the veritech prototype, without the advanced capabilities. The base has at least one fighter flight on duty at all times.

"We've intercepted the craft," says the F-203 pilot. He turns the plane around and flies in close to the veritech prototype.

"So what's the deal?" asks Major Beckett as he looks to his left. "My nose landing gear?"

"It's not down," replies the F-203 pilot.

Angus knows that the nose of the plane would not survive scraping against the concrete of the runway at over one hundred eighty knots.

_I hope it does not come to that._

"Eaglet, how long can you stay up there?" asks Claudia.

"Two hours," replies Beckett.

"Circle around the island. We'll figure out what to do."

As the veritech prototype circles around Macross City, Commander Richard Yamada enters, having been summoned here.

"What's the situation, Grant?" he asks.

"Sir, the veritech prototype was coming in for a landing when its nose landing gear was stuck," explains the air traffic control officer. "An F-203 confirmed it. The test plane is circling the island, and I have crash crews standing by."

"Good for now," replies Yamada. He looks out towards the mostly dark expanse of the base.

Angus Beckett looks down towards Macross City as he circles around. He can see the house where Maribel and his children are in.

_Think of something, Marine. You can't just go out and fix what's wrong. _

"What about your other systems?" asks Claudia. "Are they okay?"

"There doesn't seem to be anything else wrong aside from the nose landing gear," says Beckett. He takes another glance at the engine instruments. No other warning lights are on, and none of the gauges are in the red zone.

"I have an idea," says Beckett.

"Is your landing gear okay?" asks Claudia.

"No, but I found another way. Vector me straight in."

"Copy. You are cleared for landing on runway 3-2, crash crews are standing by."

He reduces power and watches his airspeed drop as he approaches the island. He can see the runway lights.

_The wind tunnel tests had this work at three hundred knots, but I'd better go down to one eighty to be on the safe side. _

The lift gradually decreases along with the airspeed. The test pilot checks the altitude and airspeed.

_Two ten Two hundred One ninety One eighty._

Angus Beckett reaches to the left and pushes the lever marked "G".

The airspeed suddenly drops as drag increases. The pilot feels squeezed onto the seat of his seat. Outside, the veritech's arms and legs fold away from the fuselage.

Angus can see the island clearly now, with moving lights indicating cars and trucks. He adjusts the throttle for the main engines, which now provide vertical thrust.

"I'm okay, tower," he says. "I am stable and I am coming in for a landing."

Claudia checks the radar console.

"Ma'am, that plane is only going sixty knots," says the air traffic controller, a Spacy corporal. "That's far below the stall speed."

The veritech, now in Guardian mode, flies towards the base, its main engines keeping it at one thousand feet while the tail engines provide the horizontal thrust.

"There's the hangar," says Beckett. "And it looks like I have a welcoming committee."

He slowly reduces the main engines' thrust until the feet of the veritech make contact with the concrete surface of the taxiway. Vehicles are parked nearby.

Major Beckett opens the cockpit, deploys the ladder, and steps down. He immediately salutes Major General Sako, who is there to greet him.

"You will go to my office for a debriefing, Major," says the general.

"Yes, sir," replies Beckett.

Inside the tower, Commander Yamada and Lieutenant Grant breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm going home now," says the commander. "Grant, you will resume your post and you will report for debriefing at 1000 tomorrow."

"Aye aye, sir," replies Claudia.

Ooooooo

Inside the Project Valkyrie hangar the next morning, technicians inspect the prototype veritech, now in Guardian configuration. The technicians, both military and civilian, inspect everything from the wiring to the mechanisms of the nose landing gear.

Inside the Project Valkyrie headquarters, General Sako speaks on the telephone with his superior, Air Force Lieutenant General Evan Crump, who leads the Joint Staff directorate for research and development.

"There was a problem with the nose landing gear, sir," says Sako. "I have the technical teams examining the plane. I expect them to find if it was a defect in the manufacturing or a design flaw."

"We're going to need more test flights done by the end of the week," replies General Crump, speaking from his office in the United Nations building in New York.

"Stonewell Bellcom made three more prototypes for testing. It will be useful in finding out what went wrong." The aircraft company, based in El Segundo, California, has a fabrication plant on base to fabricate the prototype veritechs as well as a few of their components. "I expect a full report by tomorrow, sir."

Ooooo

Not far away, the reconstruction of Alien Starship One continues. All of the workers inside are required by regulation to wear hard hats.

Deep inside the ship, construction crews are preparing to take apart some of the advanced alien technology inside. The interior has this dusty, oily feel.

"So this is the thing we're taking down?" asks Spacy Second Lieutenant Seifriet Weisse.

A dark-haired man clad in overalls and a hard hat steps down from the ladder. "From the files, this is the auxiliary fold drive," says Dr. Emil Lang, who is chief researcher of this robotechnology. He had spent much of the past eight years inside the ship. He could not forget his first venture inside, escorted by troops from six different countries.

"What's it do?"

"It is to do a hyperspace fold to allow interstellar travel," replies the scientist. "This auxiliary fold drive will be taken apart for study."

"I guess this ship won't be doing any interstellar traveling," says Weisse.

"Oh no, the main fold drive is in the next room."

The lieutenant looks around. He had been in construction these past few years, and was overjoyed when he was assigned to the construction team that is remodeling Alien Starship One. He knows the ship inside and out now. He looks as Master Space Sergeant Jean Francaix shouts out French-accented orders to the work crews assisting Dr. Lang.

Weisse checks his watch. "I have something to take care of urgently," he says. "Master Space Sergeant, you can take care of things here."

"Yes, sir," replies Master Space Sergeant Francaix, most of his attention focused on the work crews.

Ooooooooo

Alien Star Ship One is visible from an office inside tall building in Macross City's Civic Center. The tall building serves as the headquarters for the Macross City Police Department. Detective Bruno Fantone closes the wooden door behind him. The sight of the alien starship is something he had gotten used to over the past seven years.

"Would you like an espresso or a cappuccino?" asks the voice from the espresso machine in the corner.

"No thanks," replies the detective. A hissing sound is heard as boiling water pours from a tiny spout.

"Those things never work," says Chief Scott Bernard. "I asked for a cappuccino, and it came out all lumpy. I guess alien technology can't handle caffeine."

"I was following some leads on the Stavarov case this morning," says Fantone. "What bugs me is what Stavarov's pals are gonna do. I did pay them a visit and told them that if they do so much as piss on a wall in Little Ibadan, they'll find themselves hauled before court. A lot of 'em have records or on probation."

"Who would have thought such a small city would keep us busy?" asks Bernard. He looks towards the alien starship that Macross City grew around. "Still, it did give me my greatest opportunity. Back in Toronto, you can't get promoted to lieutenant unless you do serious ass kissing for a bunch of jack-offs. Here I'm the chief of police."

"Being the deputy chief of the detective bureau ain't so bad either."

"There is another case for you and your detectives." Bernard opens a manila folder, placing it on his mahogany desk. "Abigail McGee. Sixteen years old and a student in Macross City High School. Reported missing yesterday. Parents called her friend's homes."

"Maybe she ran off with her boyfriend," says Fantone. "Any boyfriend her parents knew about?"

"No," replies the police chief.

"I would put out an APB for Abigail McGee," says the detective. "Macross City is not big, not like Philly or Toronto. If she's in the city, we'll find her. But it is possible she left the city, either by plane or boat. I'll put up her case with Interpol and with the Ogasawara Village authorities."

"That's what I like about you, Bruno," says Bernard. "You always have solutions to problems."

Oooooooo

Project Valkyrie's test pilots have not done much flying since that night when Major Angus Beckett was forced to land in Guardian mode due to the malfunctioning nose landing gear.

"At least we know Guardian Mode works," says Space Marine Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff, one of the test pilots sitting inside the officers' mess.

"Meanwhile, the general has the techies going through every quarter inch of that plane," replies Beckett, cutting a slice of pork.

"Reminds me of what they did when I was workin' for NASA," says Maistroff. "All these people goin; through every little detail, just to make sure that I don't go down in flames or get sucked out into space. It's a lot of waiting. Better get used to it, Marine."

Angus nods; Colonel Maistroff had been an astronaut in NASA before flying fighters for the U.S. Marine Corps during the war. He had met Maistroff during the war, along with a certain pilot who used to fly fighters for the U.S. Navy.

And sitting a few tables away, a certain air traffic control officer does her best to ignore that certain test pilot, concentrating on the poached salmon on her plate.

Ooooooo

Later that day, General Sako meets with the technicians inside a conference room. The conference room has a huge wooden table, and a side table has coffee pots and cups. An espresso machine that utilizes robotechnology for voice activation sits in the corner, with a piece of paper taped to it, reading "Out of Order".

"It was a wire that got disconnected," says a Stonewell Bellcom technician clad in a white coat. "The soldering wasn't done correctly, so the wire disconnected and the nose landing gear could not be deployed. The landing gear itself is fine. The design works, it's just that the soldering wasn't made to design specifications."

"Anything else wrong?" asks Colonel Edwards.

"No. Aside from that loose wire in the landing gear control system, everything was built to specifications."

"And the other two are ready, right?" asks Sako.

"Yes, sir."

"We can begin test flights again. Since Major Beckett already tested the veritech in Guardian mode, we will have more Guardian mode test flights."

Oooooooo

_It handles _almost _like a fighter._

There are a few differences. In Guardian mode, supersonic speeds are impossible in an atmosphere. Maximum speed is estimated at two hundred fifty knots. Lieutenant Roy Fokker can see that the prototype veritech is traveling at far less than this speed, at only one hundred ten knots. Below him is the clear blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

"This is Eaglet," says Roy. "I am descending."

"Copy that," says Colonel Edwards, his face appearing on a screen.

Roy reduces the thrust of the leg engines and watches the altimeter descend. He is now at one hundred feet, just above the water. The pilot is used to flying fixed wing aircraft, the concept of flying just feet above the surface is more alien to him than flying in space.

_It is certainly useful with providing close air support. Why do I feel that this would be deployed in Africa?_

Roy is aware of events around the world; the _Prometheus_, an aircraft carrier based in Macross City, is being deployed to the Indian Ocean to support peacekeeping efforts in Africa.

_Of course, peacekeeping in Africa involves firefights with warlords of the day._

His thoughts wander from world events to events of a more personal nature.

"Head back to base, Eaglet," says Colonel Edwards.

"Copy that," replies Fokker. Moving the control stick and pressing on the pedals, he swings the veritech guardian back towards Macross City, flying at an altitude of one thousand feet. In a few minutes the feet of the guardian touches down on the pavement of the air base. Technicians once again look over every quarter square inch of the experimental aircraft, especially if any of the parts are wearing out too fast. Memories of that close call just days ago are still vivid in the minds of the technicians and the staff.

Oooooo

Lieutenant Lisa Hayes sits in the chair inside the control tower, monitoring the air traffic control operations. The air traffic controllers all watch the monitor screens. She looks at a manifest. There is a scheduled test flight of the prototype veritech aircraft, with Air Force First Lieutenant Wan Chen at pilot.

"You are cleared for takeoff on Runway 2," says the air traffic controller.

"Copy that," replies Lieutenant Chen. He pushes the throttle and the veritech fighter takes off. "Eaglet is in the air."

"We are transferring you to Project Valkyrie control," says Hayes.

"How is it going up there, Eaglet?" asks Colonel Edwards, speaking from the Project Valkyrie command center.

"Great, sir," replies Chen. "I'm above the Pacific, and I will now achieve supersonic speed." The Air Force lieutenant pushes the throttle forward, and the leg engines expel reaction mass with great force.

Chen feels himself pushed back into the seat as the veritech picks up airspeed. This is his third time inside the plane, and he had flown it in both Fighter and Guardian configurations. The veritech reaches the speed of sound, creating a sound cone behind it, causing the water to ripple where it touches the ocean's surface.

Chen checks the instruments; the plane now flies at Mach 2. None of the warning lots are on, and none of the gauges are in the red zone. He remembers his first supersonic flight during his training days with the Chinese Air Force, and his first space flight as a space aviator for the United Nations Air Force.

"I am now reducing power," he says. He reduces the thrust, and the drag reduces the airspeed. He watches as the airspeed indicator on the instrument panel counts down. The airspeed indicator reaches three hundred knots. "I am now switching to Guardian configuration." He pulls the lever marked "G", and the veritech's legs swing downward and the arms deploy. The lift is now generated by the leg engines. Chen performs basic maneuvers. The test pilot is not too worried; he had read about the safety features, and if the nose landing gear fails to deploy, he can always land in Guardian mode.

"Okay, Eaglet," says Colonel Edwards, "return to base."

"Copy that." Chen pulls the lever marked "F", and the veritech folds itself into Fighter mode. He can see Macross City in the distance, a whitish expanse in a blue sea.

"We're switching you over to tower control," says Edwards.

"This is Macross Tower," says Lieutenant Lisa Hayes, her face appearing on the screen. "We have cleared you for Runway 2."

"Copy that, Tower," replies Lieutenant Chen. The Air Force pilot checks the instruments even as he lowers the flaps and the landing gear. The instrument landing system (ILS) allows for the automatic landing of aircraft. He can see the runway lights ahead.

"Wait," says Chen, looking at the plane's instruments. "I'm losing power." He pushes the throttle for the leg and tail thrusters.

The veritech expels a huge amount of smoke before bursting in flames. Seconds later, its wreck is on the concrete surface of runway 2.

Commander Richard Yamada runs up to the control tower, watching as fire trucks from the Spacy's firefighting service are parked near the wreck, the Spacy firemen hosing down the burning veritech prototype.

Oooooooo

Later that day, a Spacy lieutenant commander serving as a chaplain meets with the test pilots and the staff of Project Valkyrie inside the briefing room. The mood is down; mortality is closer to these pilots than usual. It is a feeling that they are all too familiar with.

"You all take risks when you go up there," says the chaplain. "Grief is not for the dead, but for the living. We want to remember Lieutenant Chen."

A Spacy bugler then plays taps.

"We can send him back home in three days," says General Sako.

Everyone leaves the room, not feeling any better.

Oooooooo

The village of Oki on Haha-jima Island in Japan has a population of two thousand. Aside from fishing and distilling rum, it also caters to tourists visiting from Macross City. Some of the wealthy people living in Macross City have beachfront condos near the harbor. Behind the village are large hills. Muko-jima is visible from the harbor.

A ferry now departs Oki's harbor for Macross City, its whistle announcing its voyage. It is crowded even as a Pacific breeze blows across the main deck. Some are village residents wanting to visit Macross City's clubs and restaurants, others live in Macross City wanting to spend the day in a quaint fishing village. Angus Beckett is one of the Macross City residents. Clad in jeans and a T-shirt instead of his Space Marine uniform, he smiles at his children. General Sako had suspended the operational testing for the prototype veritechs, so the Marine major has some free time. Plus he has some hazardous duty pay and flight pay to spend.

"Do you really have to do this test flying?" asks Maribel.

"Of course," replies Angus. "That's where they need me."

"I know what happened to that pilot, Angus. I also know you volunteered for this."

"It was a great career opportunity for me, Maribel. You know how much I love my career."

"And how far will you get when it's your turn to die like he did?" cries Maribel.

"Maribel, we've been through this before," protests Angus. "When I left for space aviator school after we got married, you worried that I might hit an asteroid or the air would leak out. I'm still here. I don't plan on checking out early."

"That pilot who was killed two days ago didn't plan to check out. Can't you quit? I don't want to be a thirty-year-old widow!"

Angus briefly reflects on his close call, and upon Lieutenant Chen's demise.

_It _could _happen to me. But who's going to do it?_

Ooooooooo

Darkness.

All she can see is darkness.

All she can hear is the dripping sound of water

Abigail McGee lies down. She had been restrained, but not anymore. She tries to move fingers and toes that are no longer there.

_Why doesn't he kill me?_

She knows that she will die in this dark place.

Alone.


	4. Chapter 4

The bell rings, and the students of Macross City High School all leave their last class for the day. Some of them will be heading home, while others will be attending to extracurricular activities.

Many of the students clad in the warm-weather outfit of white shirt or blouse and black slacks or knee-length skirt gather at the steps leading to the high school's auditorium. On a tripod is a picture of a teenage girl with blond hair. The smile on her face indicates a much happier time. Several girls gather around the picture.

"Too bad about her," says Zack Bauer. Like the other students at Macross City High School, he knows about Abigail McGee being declared missing. There is a candlelight vigil at her parents' home later in the evening.

"Maybe she just ran away with some boy," says Vince Grant. "It happens."

"I think I know what happened," says a male voice.

Vince turns around and sees David, the Nigerian kid whom he had met during lunch his first day here.

"What?" asks Zack.

"Probably some Ukrainian slime kidnapped her," says David.

"Let's go, Zack," says Vince, tapping Zack on the shoulder. "My sister should be parked in front."

They walk outside towards the front of the school. A yellow school bus uploads students, while other students get inside cars ranging from Toyotas to Hondas and even a Jaguar. Across the street are some apartment buildings, and an office building with a McDonald's on the ground floor.

"There she is," says Vince, leading Zack towards a green Toyota Avalon parked next to a white curb. They both get inside the car.

"How was your day?" asks Claudia Grant.

"It was great, Lieutenant Grant," says Zack even as Claudia pulls the car away from the curb.

"I just got a lot of homework to do," says Vince.

"And how is your family, uh?" asks Claudia.

"Zack," says Zack. "They're fine. My dad's out at sea. His ship's supporting that peacekeeping mission in Africa."

"Have you heard from him?"

"A few days ago. He was on satellite phone."

"And what's he doing?"

"The usual XO stuff- keeping records, assigning duty shifts. It's not like back during the war ten years ago when there were combat alerts every week. My dad told me about that when he served on the _Seahawk_ when he was in the U.S. Navy."

Macross City is not a huge city. In a few minutes they are at the base housing where all United Earth Forces personnel based in Macross City live.

Ooooooo

A few days later, a blip appears on a radar screen inside the control tower of U.N. Spacy Base- Macross City. "You are cleared for Runway 2," says an air traffic controller.

"Thank you, Corporal Yi," says Lieutenant Lisa Hayes as she sits in the command chair. Yi continues to listen to the radio chatter.

She oversees the air traffic controllers; Lieutenant Grant will take over her shift in a little over an hour. She will then have to fill our some paperwork.

The Spacy lieutenant watches as a United Nations Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules taxis on a taxiway next to Runway 2.

At the airfield outside, ground crews prepare to welcome the passengers. The base commander had briefed them on this arrival; some VIP's were touching down here in Macross City. Six people clad in dress whites give a formal salute as the passengers- generals, admirals, and their aides- alight on the ground.

"Good morning, sirs," says the base commander, a Spacy captain. "Welcome to Macross City. How was the flight from New York?"

"Pretty long," says Air Force Lieutenant General Evan Crump, who is responsible to the U.N. Supreme Commander for research on robotechnology. "Let's see what we have here."

A Jeep takes the dignitaries to Alien Star Ship One. The generals and admirals and their aides all look at the ship, which is surrounded by scaffolding. Spacy construction workers walk along the platforms, climb up and down the ladders, and use the lifts.

"Good morning, sirs," says a Spacy captain wearing a hard hat. "Welcome to Alien Star Ship One. I know it looks a bit unfinished."

"How long will it take to finish?" asks Spacy Vice Admiral Donald Hayes, one of the visitors.

"I estimate it will take about a year before the ship is operational, sir," replies the captain. "Before you can enter the ship, you must wear a hard hat. It is in the regulations."

"Of course," replies Hayes.

They all enter the huge starship that had crashed about eight years ago. Hayes notices the oil and dust.

_Maybe I should have worn the short sleeve khakis instead of the Class C's. _

The noises of hammers and screws and drills echo throughout the vast ship.

"We've had a few technical difficulties with the electrical systems," says the captain in charge of the reconstruction. "Most of the circuits only need good old copper wire, but we're waiting for those superconducting conduits."

General Crump nods. He does have knowledge of engineering- he had been a pilot with the Canadian Armed Forces and an astronaut; it is not as extensive as that of the captain here, much less Dr. Emil Lang. The VIP's tour other sections of the ship, including the main reactor and the main hyperspace fold drives.

After the tour of Alien Star Ship One, the generals and admirals visit other parts of the base where the robotechnology is being developed.

"Sirs," says Major General Ahmadu Sako as he salutes the superior officers inside the hangar. "Welcome to Project Valkyrie."

General Crump and the others look around the hangar. A veritech in its guardian configuration is suspended by cables. "I understand that you suspended test flight operations," he says.

"We are still conducting the investigation into the crash," replies Sako. "I did forward the preliminary reports to your office. Our engineers are working to fix whatever went wrong."

"Tell them to hurry up," says Crump, glancing at the technicians. "We've had enough delays already."

Ooooooooo

The Lighthouse restaurant, located on the shoreline of Macross City near the marina, is inside a building shaped like a lighthouse. Indoor and outdoor seating is included. On this particular time, as the sun approaches the horizon, people dine on various dishes of seafood. Just outside the restaurant, stray cats mingle on the rocks.

"And how is your work?" asks Admiral Donald Hayes after swallowing a piece of calamari.

"Very well, Father," replies Lisa Hayes, who is dressed in a pink blouse and knee length skirt instead of her Spacy uniform. "It is a nice change from being a combat air controller on an ARMD. More space."

"I remember my days with NASA," says the senior Hayes. "Bunks were simply cushions in a drawer."

Lisa nods. The living space she had on board ARMD-01 was the size of a small closet.

"I did get some news," continues Donald. "I've been nominated to receive my fourth star; the Security Council is due to ratify my nomination along with others."

"A fourth star. You must be up for a very important command."

"I've spoken with Supreme Commander Yamamoto. Once the Security Council ratifies promotion, I'll be moving."

"Enough about careers, Father," says Lisa.

"Okay, Lisa. How are things with Karl?"

Lisa slices the braised Alaskan salmon on her plate. "Great, Father. Karl e-mailed me that his your of duty on Mars is almost over," she says. "The transport is already on its way to pick him up."

"That's great," replies her father. "I did see him a few months ago during an inspection tour. I remember when I first set foot on Mars- that was fifteen years ago. We were still relying on chemical rockets to boost us up into space."

Lisa nods. She had been seven at the time, and remembered watching the image of her father walking on Mars. And she remembers the homecoming parade in Washington, D.C.

Ooooooooo

The technicians look as the prototype veritech is prepared for another flight. The United Nations High Command had ordered test flights to resume.

"I hope we corrected everything," says one of the Stonewell Bellcom technicians.

"I'm sure we did," says Lieutenant Sally Mayfield.

Inside the cockpit, Lieutenant Roy Fokker checks his instruments. He is to perform maneuvers in Fighter mode and then switch to Guardian mode to perform more maneuvers. Once again, he will be testing the plane to its upper limits, redlining everything.

_Here's hoping I don't end up like Lieutenant Chen._

Fokker buries that thought. Mortality is not something to think of behind the stick.

Ooooooo

The _Daedalus_ is a submersible sea amphibious assault ship, rectangular in ship. Like other amphibious assault ship, it is designed to land troops. The United Nations Ocean Patrol has five ships of this class, used to land UNOP Amphibious Forces, also known as Frogs.

"I guess I'm a Frog now," says UNOP Commander Archibald Cramer.

On this particular day, the _Daedalus_ is sailing on the Pacific Ocean, approaching Minami Iwo Jima, one of the Ogasawara Islands. Project Valkyrie is now testing the Battloid modes of the prototype veritechs, and so two veritech battloids had been loaded onto the _Daedalus _to make an amphibious landing. Commander Cramer pilots one battloid; U.N. Space Marine Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff pilots the other battloid.

On the bridge of the _Daedalus_, a UNOP petty officer looks at a scope.

"We are now one mile from the landing point," he says.

"Open the hangar door," says the _Daedalus's _CO.

The hangar opens, and sunlight enters the hangar, illuminating the two prototype veritechs along with the UNOP destroids and everything and everyone else inside.

"Time for us to go, mate," says Cramer.

Using the foot pedals and levers, they walk out of the hangar and step into the shallow seawater near the beach. They and the other test pilots all practiced the controls of the battloid back at the base. So far, actually operating the battloids is pretty much the same.

The CO looks on with her eyes.

_At least it's more peaceful than landing destroids on the African coast._

The battloids are now on the beach; their pilots practice sitting, standing, bending joints, and even digital manipulation.

"Okay, you people," says Colonel Edwards, speaking from a Sea Sergeant helicopter hovering nearby. "Let's start running."

"Copy that," says Commander Cramer. "Ready, mate?"

"Sure," replies Colonel Maistroff.

The two battloids start running, stomping on the brush growing on this deserted island. They run up the steep slope towards the summit of the island, which is the highest point in the Ogasawara Island chain.

"Okay," says Edwards. "Now to test the battloids' flight capabilities.

The battloids slowly rise into the air as the leg thrusters and back thrusters are engaged, expelling reaction mass and blowing leaves and dust around.

"We're now at three hundred feet," says Colonel Maistroff, looking at the video screen that shows the altitude as well as other critical information. A larger video screen allows the test pilot to look out through cameras located in the battloid's head.

The battloids now maneuver in the air. In the air, they are unable to move as fast as they could in Fighter or Guardian modes. What they _can _do is turn with a radius of zero.

"Controls seem to be a little jerky," says Cramer. He looks at the main video monitor and sees the _Daedalus_ in the waters of the Pacific just off Minami Iwo Jima.

"Okay, you two," says Edwards. "Land and head back to _Daedalus."_

"Copy that," reply the two test pilots. They gently reduce the throttle of the leg and back thrusters until the feet touch the ground of Minami Iwo Jima. Looking towards the _Daedalus's _open hatch, they walk to the mecha hangar.

A few hours later, the Project Valkyrie technicians inspect every square inch of the battloids.

Oooo

"So far, everything is working well," says Commander Archibald Cramer.

"Yup," replies Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff, sticking a fork into a chow fun noodle. The two test pilots are having their lunch break at the Lin family Chinese restaurant in Macross City, just about a mile from the base. Money is not exactly tight for either man, due to the flight pay and hazardous duty pay that they are entitled to. They remember to speak in closely guarded terms; after all, enemy spies might be listening.

"Do you want anything?' asks a waitress.

"How about a Foster's?" asks Cramer. "I'd like to feel at home."

"Sure," replies the waitress.

Just a few tables away from the two pilots, a couple speaks.

"So you haven't called for two weeks," says a dark-haired lady in a blue short-sleeve blouse.

"I've been busy," replies Lin Kyle, whose father owns the restaurant. "Studying for exams, appearing at peace rallies."

"And an international phone call is out of the question, Kyle?"

"I'm sorry, Sadako," replies Kyle. "You know I want to make something of myself and to stand for what's right."

"We're all going out Saturday night," says Sadako Kakizaki.

"Girls' night out?"

"We've had plenty of those. This time we're bringing men."

"As long as I get to come with you, babe."

Ooooooo

Weekends at the Bright Star casino are predictably packed, with gamblers lining the tables and the slot machines, and beeping noises echoing through the huge room.

"Snake eyes!" yells the stickman at one the craps tables, reeling in the two red dice with a stick.

"Maybe you'll have better luck up in Space," says Ocean Patrol Lieutenant Eddie Marsden. He wears clothes much more casual than his service khakis.

"Right," replies Lieutenant Roy Fokker, sipping down his cranberry vodka, having used up the last of his casino chips. "Let's go."

Six of Project Valkyrie's test pilots go up the escalator and into the VIP line for Space. Eddie Marsden had reserved VIP passes for the six of them, so the wait is only about six minutes. After paying the doorman and being checked by the bouncers, they all enter. The club is already three-fourths full, with people dancing to the beat of the music. All the hard work the pilots did- testing the prototype veritechs in all three modes, pushing each airframe to the limit- is buried in their minds, replaced by the beat of the nightclub.

Just a few feet away from where the test pilots hang out, another crowd stands in the corner, where the sound is not as loud.

"You know, Kyle," says Sadako Kakizaki, now wearing a black sleeveless dress, "you've changed in the past few years."

"I've learned a lot in college," replies Kyle, sipping a light blue drink. "About the way the world really works. Are you aware of what's happening in Africa?"

"What?"

"The colonial occupation there. I spent a weekend in New York protesting in front of U.N. Headquarters. The ISM has the real info if you want to look."

"So you spent a weekend in New York just to hold a bunch of picket signs and shout slogans?" asks Sadako. "What kind of fun is that?"

"It's not about fun; it's about justice. About the occupied Congo, occupied Tibet, occupied Palestine, and occupied _Taiwan_."

Sadako turns around. "What happened to you, Kyle?" she asks.

"I grew up, Sadako," he says evenly.

"So _I_ didn't grow up? I work two jobs while you're just going to school!"

"Sadako wait!" says Kyle as he puts his hand on her bare shoulder.

Sadako brushes off his hand. "I'm leaving."

Lin Kyle watches as Sadako walks out of the nightclub. The girl had been part of his life for over six years.

"Don't worry, buddy," says a male friend who had accompanied Kyle and the others. "She'll be back."

_I guess I can call her,_ thinks Kyle.

Ooooooooo

"She's not home now," says the voice.

"You mean she hasn't come back?" asks Kyle.

"Sadako isn't here, Kyle. Maybe she went to a friend's apartment. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Thanks, Mr. Kakizaki."

Kyle hangs up the phone in his room above the Chinese restaurant. He had not seen Sadako for the many weeks he had spent in school in Yokohama, Japan. Memory of his first meeting her at school, when the school itself was brand-new that all of the steel rails shined like silver and the paint was bright as day, surface in his mind. How can he forget meeting her at phys-ed class, going with her to bowling alleys, and to the prom?

_I'd better give her space for a day. _

Ooooooooo

The building stands with its front wall completely collapsed, exposing the rooms. On the ground, medics carry the wounded, while sanitation formations carry the dead in body bags.

"What we see here is an attack on the United Nations Army barracks in Kenya," says the voice of a news reporter. "The soldiers were part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Africa. Army intelligence is still investigating the cause of the attack. They do not believe that the attack was from a bomber or missile."

Lin Max watches through an open window between the kitchen and seating area as he cooks egg flower soup in an aluminum pot on the stove. He turns his attention to another subject. "How are things going with Sadako?" he asks.

"Uh, fine Dad," replies Kyle.

_I wonder where she is. Did she go by herself on a trip to Macao or Las Vegas? Her friends are still in the city. _

"She is such a sweet girl, Kyle. You know, maybe you should wear something other than that T-SHIRT, something less provocative."

Kyle wipes the tables with a wet cloth, while he thinks of the latest news on the recent events in Africa. Thinking of world events takes focus from his personal life.

The door chimes, and Kyle sees a dark-haired man in a suit.

"Is Lin Kyle here?" asks the man.

"I'm Lin Kyle," replies Kyle.

The man holds a badge. "Detective Fantone, MCPD. You will have to come with me. We have some questions about your girlfriend."

The detective grabs Kyle's arms and escorts him out of the restaurant.

"Where's he taking Kyle?" asks Kyle's cousin Minmei.


	5. Chapter 5

Most of the room is dark, except for a one hundred watt incandescent light bulb shining brightly overhead. Lin Kyle can feel the heat radiating from the tungsten filament of the bulb.

"So where is she?" asks Detective Bruno Fantone. "Where is Sadako Kakizaki?"

"I don't know," says Kyle, trying to keep his voice even. "I talked to her parents and her friends; they haven't seen here."

"But you were with her on Saturday night in Space."

"Yeah, that was when I last saw her."

"And I heard you had an argument."

"It's a long story," says Kyle. "I've changed a bit after learning a lot about the world in college."

"That's right; you go to college in Japan," says the detective.

"Yeah, Yokohoma."

"What's that on your shirt? Who is this Rachel Corrie? Someone you're seeing on the side in college?"

"No. Rachel Corrie was a peace activist," says Kyle. "She was protesting the demolition of homes in occupied Palestine when she was murdered by an Israeli bulldozer driver back in 2003."

"Yeah, you're part of some movement, the IMS?"

"International Solidarity Movement," says Kyle. "We're advocating for justice. But why are you asking for political views. You wanted to know where my girlfriend is."

"Yes, Kyle. Where is she?"

"I don't know. Is she in trouble? Did she kill someone?"

"Well, I've been thinking. Witnesses saw you arguin' with yer girlfriend. So maybe you followed her out of the club, killed her, and dumped her body somewhere."

"What!" asks Kyle, standing up. "I don't have to listen to this."

"Refusal to cooperate the police is a criminal offense," says Fantone, putting his hand on Kyle's shoulder and pushing him down on the seat. "Now answer my questions. What did you do after Sadako left the club?"

"I stayed for a couple of hours, maybe two or three, had a few drinks," answers Kyle. "Then I went home."

"You just went home, right?"

"Yeah."

Silence reigns in the room for five minutes. Detective Fantone leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"What do you think?" he asks a dark-haired man in a suit.

"I don't think he knows what happened to her," replies Detective Wong, sitting in a dark room next to the interrogation room, with a window looking out into the interrogation room.

Fantone re-enters the interrogation room.

"You may go," he says to Lin Kyle. "I can give you a ride to the restaurant or anywhere in the city."

Ooooooooo

Sadako Kakizaki lies on her back. It is dark, with only a few small yet bright lights providing illumination. She hears the sound of dripping water.

The sound is interrupted by a male voice.

"Having a pleasant time, Sadako?" asks the shadowed figure. He shows her something.

The girl looks and sees a polished skull.

"I got it from a girl named Abigail," says the man. I stashed her ribcage around here somewhere; this is an awfully big place. I'll be done with you soon."

Oooooo

Lieutenant Roy Fokker pulls the Honda Accord sedan next to the white curb at Macross International Airport. The airport is small, with only one terminal. The airlines only have direct flights leading to Japan, Guam, and Korea; travelers coming in from other parts of the world must use connecting flights. People walk on the sidewalk outside the terminal, either waiting for rides or hauling luggage into the terminal.

Roy steps out of the car and waves. Two people from the crowd respond. One of them is a man in his late forties wearing a billed cap, a collared polo shirt, and slacks. The other is a teenage boy wearing Levi's jeans and a T-shirt reading "Willamette Valley Youth Pilot League".

"Roy," says the older man. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, Pop," replies the test pilot. "And Rick?"

"Hi, big brother," says Rick Hunter. "What's with the uniform?"

"I have to report for duty at 0900," replies Roy, wearing his short-sleeve service khakis. He looks east; the sun had just risen here less than one hour ago. "I should be able to help you with the luggage."

After Roy helps the Hunters with their luggage, and being grateful that there are no girls in the family, for there would be a _lot_ more luggage, he and the Hunters step into the Honda and fasten their seat belts. Roy drives the Honda away from the airport and along the streets of Macross City.

"The Blood Martyrs' Brigade has claimed responsibility for the attack on the U.N. Army barracks in Kenya," says a voice on the radio. "Samir Atta Nidal, leader of the Blood Martyrs' brigade, promised there would be more attacks against U.N. personnel no matter where they are."

"Doing well, Rick?" asks Roy.

"I'm going to fly in a competition next week," says Rick.

"How was the flight?"

"We had a long trip," says Pop Hunter. "Taking the train all the way to Portland the day before to have plenty of time to prepare for the flight, sleeping there at a motel, flying all the way to Yokohoma, and then another flight here."

"You must have seen the spaceship?"

"Yeah, I saw it as we were coming in," says Rick. "Looks like some big construction site."

"Here's the hotel," says Roy, pulling into the parking lot of the Macross Hyatt.

"Such a small city," says Rick. "Not even as big as Portland." The teen had done his fair share of traveling. He had once been to New York City, and _that_ had been gargantuan to him. "Macross City must be bigger than wherever you were stationed in Wyoming."

"Laramie," answers Roy, taking out a suitcase. "Much less to do in Laramie than here."

"What will you do once your service obligation is up?" asks Pop. "Go back to the air circus?"

"If there's still a place for me there."

They all walk into the hotel lobby, the sounds of the nearby casino faint. The lobby is simple, with wooden desks and a stand with brochures.

"Here is your room key, sir," says a dark-skinned woman, speaking in a Nigerian accent.

The elevators are right next to the casino. Roy and the Hunters ride up to the seventh floor. After walking a long way, they enter their hotel room.

The room is clean, and that is about it-just two beds, a Hitachi plasma television, a radio, and some lamps.

"It sure isn't the Venetian," says Pop.

Roy lies down on the bed, tired from the long trip. "You could show us around here after you get off, right?"

"Sure," replies Roy.

It was over twenty years ago that he came to live with Pop Hunter, who became his legal guardian. Pop had taught Roy how to fly airplanes. Roy later got a little brother in the form of Rick Hunter. They had both flown together in the Hunters' Flying Circus.

Then the United States entered the Global Civil War. Roy enlisted in the United States Navy, entering its accelerated flight school.

"Why did you continue in the U.N. forces?" asks Pop.

"I wanted to be an astronaut," says Roy. "It was one of my dreams."

"Sure," replies Pop. He can still remember the first landing on Mars, as the American astronauts stepped off from the Mars lander.

_Now there's a permanent U.N. base there_. Construction of the base had been started just prior to the arrival of Alien Star Ship One, and in fact the base had been completed ten years ahead of schedule, due to the incorporation of the advanced technology found on the ship, allowing supplies to be delivered much more quickly.

"I'd like to be an astronaut," says Rick. "Maybe we can take a vacation to the moon."

"Not much to see there, I'm afraid," says Roy. "Aside from the lunar base, it's a silent, empty rock."

"I read there was a lake deep under the moon," says Rick. "That's why we were able to build a colony there nine years ago."

_It took thirteen years to build, and construction slowed in the last four years because of the war, _thinks Roy. "I had better head back to base," he says, looking at his watch. "I'll call you when I get off duty."

Oooooooo

After taking the picture with the Sony digital camera, Roy puts the camera down.

Pop and Rick Hunter had stood in front of the fence encircling the base. As civilians are not allowed inside Alien Star Ship One, tourists go to the fence to look at the ship and take pictures.

"Maybe we should have dinner," says Rick, looking to the west as the sun is setting over Macross City.

"There's a steakhouse inside the hotel," suggests Pop.

Pop and Rick get inside the car that Roy had rented. A few minutes later, they are seated inside a steakhouse located in the Bright Star Casino. The floor of the restaurant is dimly lit, and they all sit at a varnished wooden table. A blond-haired waitress wearing a white blouse and a black skirt takes their order.

"Not much to do here," says Rick, dipping an onion ring into some ranch sauce. "I mean, we can see Alien Star Ship One, but that only takes a few minutes. We can't even go inside. And I'm too young to gamble in the casino."

"You only got to be eighteen to gamble in _this _casino, Rick," says Pop. "Not like Vegas."

"I could drive to one of those Indian casinos; they allow eighteen-year-olds to gamble."

"This is Macross City," says Roy, "we have this huge alien ship. After you seen it, you might as well go home."

The waitress comes with their entrees, sirloin steaks served in a wine sauce.

"What are you two doing tomorrow?" asks Roy.

"I could have a couple of beers, play some of the games here," says Pop. "We could go swimming; at least the weather's warm enough here."

"Yeah," says Rick. "Good thing the ship didn't land somewhere cold like Alaska or Siberia."

_Things would be much different if the ship had crashed within the borders of a country instead of some isolated island in the middle of nowhere,_ Roy thinks.

It was nothing short of a miracle that the leaders of the nations fighting the war had decided to turn the matter over to the United Nations. The island and the ship were proclaimed to be under United Nations jurisdiction. One of the first acts of the United Earth Forces was to take control of the island.

"What about you, Roy?" asks Pop. "Anything you'll be doing. Anyone you're seeing?"

"Not really," replies Roy. "There is a military ball Saturday night. I'm gonna get dressed in my dress whites. Dancing, and a live band."

"Sounds fun," says Rick

"What time does your flight leave?" asks Roy.

"Flight leaves at 10:30 AM," says Pop.

Roy slices the sirloin steak on his plate. "I'm on duty, so I won't be able to drop you off at the airport."

"The hotel has an airport shuttle," says Pop. "Maybe we should hit the tables together, Roy."

"Sure," says Roy. "But I'll have to drink some coffee the next morning to stay up."

Ooooooooo

"Thanks for the cooking, Claudia," says Lieutenant Lisa Hayes, putting the dish into the kitchen sink.

"You're welcome, Lisa," replies Lieutenant Claudia Grant. "Are you going to the ball Saturday."

"The ball?" asks Lisa.

"You know, the one where you have to wear your dress whites and all."

"I don't know," replies Lisa. "Karl's still back on Mars and he won't be coming to Earth for at least seven months."

"You don't need a date, Lieutenant Hayes," says Vince Grant. "I mean, when I went to that school dance in the spring I just went with a bunch of buddies. I'm glad school's over for now. It's such a hassle having to get used to a new school."

"Don't I know it," says Lisa. "My dad was in the U.S. Navy, and I had to move every year or so. The longest I've stayed in one place was when he was in NASA and went on that first mission to Mars. It was such a big deal back then."

"Claudia told me about her shore leave at Mars," says Vince. "It was just a big red rock of nothing."

"Mars isn't exactly a resort destination," says Claudia. "Unless your idea of a vacation is working out at the gym and playing video games."

"Zack might tolerate it," says Vince. "He's into computers. He could probably crack all of the encrypted files on his dad's ship."

"A deployment to Mars does look great on one's service record," says Lisa. "Although being deployed on Alien Star Ship One would probably be a choice assignment in a few years."

Oooooooo

The veritech battloid runs around the island of Minami Iwo Jima, stomping the brush. Its thrusters propel the battloid into the air. Roy Fokker flips the "G" lever and the veritech goes into Guardian mode, its arms and legs hanging from the airplane fuselage. Roy pushes the throttle for the back engines forward, increasing the guardian's airspeed.

"Airspeed is at three hundred fifty knots," says Roy, looking at the indicator. Three hundred fifty knots is close to the theoretical upper limit that it is safe for a transformation.

"Very good," says Colonel Edwards, speaking from Cat's Eye recon plane. "Now transform into fighter mode."

Roy pushes the "F" lever, and the legs and arms fold in and the veritech becomes a fighter jet. "We are now at Mach One," says Roy. "So far, so good."

"Return to base," says Edwards.

Roy lands the veritech fighter at the base. Taxiing to Project Valkyrie's hangar, he steps down from the prototype airplane even as the technical teams start to inspect the plane.

"Another wild ride, eh squid?" asks Major Angus Beckett, dressed in his flight suit.

"Sure, jarhead," replies Roy. "Although I think I might have an easier time of handling it than you would."

"You got a date for the ball Saturday? I'm taking my beautiful Maribel, but you don't have a ready date."

"There's someone I've been meaning to ask," says Roy.

"Ask her as soon as you can, Roy. The worst she could do is say no."

oooooooooo

"How do I look?" asks Claudia.

"You look great," replies Lisa, looking at the full-length mirror in the master bedroom of their quarters.

Claudia is dressed in U.N. Spacy dress whites, with a long-sleeve white blouse with shiny brass buttons and a white dress and the rank insignia on her shoulder boards. By contrast, Lisa is dressed in short-sleeve service khakis.

"So you get to work Saturday night," says Claudia.

"I asked Commander Yamada for the Saturday graveyard shift," says Lisa. "I figured why not let some single person come in my stead."

"You'll be missing out on the ball."

"I've been to one before. I'm sure I can go to another one- with Karl as my husband."

"You two have a wedding date?"

"We've been separated for so long, but we want to get married soon after he returns to Earth. Anyway, we should be going. I can drop you off at the center before I go to the tower."

"Okay, Lisa."

Lisa drives Claudia a few blocks to the base's community center. The community center is a plain-looking building, with Alien Star Ship One towering behind it. Many people in finely dressed clothes enter the community center, while caterers service the event, a catering truck parked just outside the building.

"Have a great night, Claudia," says Lisa.

"You too, Lisa," says Claudia, looking into the Nissan Sentra. "I expect the tower to be there when I go back to work Monday morning."

Claudia enters the foyer of the community center. Most of the people wear formal dress uniforms. Most of them wear Spacy or Space Marine uniforms, a few wear Ocean Patrol uniforms, a handful even wear Air Force uniforms. A few of the guests are civilian dates, either wearing elaborate dresses or tuxedoes. A woman checks her face at a mirror mounted on the wall.

"Good evening, Lieutenant Grant," says Commander Richard Yamada, dressed in Spacy dress whites. For men, dress whites consist of a long-sleeve white coat with brass buttons down the middle and white pants.

"Good evening, Commander Yamada," says Claudia.

"No need to stand at attention here. Enjoy yourself. Of course, if you don't feel like enjoying yourself, feel free to do so."

"I'll keep that in mind, Commander."

Claudia enters the room. It is a large room, built to accommodate over five hundred people. Some of the people eat hors'd'ouerves, while some people dance on the floor. A jazz band plays on stage; they all wear Spacy dress whites, as they are the U.N. Spacy band assigned to the base.

"Good evening, Lieutenant Grant."

Claudia turns and sees a man wearing U.N. Space Marine dress blues- a dark blue coat with brass buttons down the middle and blue pats with a red stripe running down each sleeve. The brass oak leaves on his shoulders indicate that he is a major.

"You are?" she asks.

"Major Angus Beckett, U.N. Space Marines," replies the man. "I'm one of the test pilots for Project Valkyrie. This is my lovely wife Maribel."

"Hello there," says the lady in a red dress with shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair. "And you are?"

"Lieutenant Claudia Grant. I work in air traffic control for the base."

"That's how I recognize her," says Angus.

"A pleasure to meet you," says Maribel.

They shake hands.

"Any kids?" asks Claudia.

"Two," replies Maribel Beckett. "One of the other wives is watching them."

"I've heard of the Wives' Club. It's bigger than the Husbands' Club."

"If you will excuse us," says Angus Beckett.

Claudia walks to the bar, preparing to order a drink.

She looks and sees none other than Lieutenant Roy Fokker, clad in his dress whites.

More importantly, he sees a red-haired girl at his arm, clad in Spacy dress whites.

"Get me something hard," Claudia says to the bartender, a man with greasy black hair.

"So what you think of the music?" asks Roy.

"It's okay," says Lieutenant Sally Mayfield. "Ooh, those stuffed mushrooms look delish."

Claudia silently mouths Sally's words. She gulps down the drink, rocks and all.

"Another one, please?"

"How long will it be until this test flight project is done?" asks Maribel Beckett, standing about twenty feet from where Claudia is standing.

"I don't know," replies Angus. "General Sako over there thinks it'll be a few more months."

"And then what? You go off to fly combat missions over in Africa or something, where they had that bombing? When is your service obligation done?"

"Not for another few years, Maribel."

"I don't want to lose you."

"Why don't we dance? This is a party, Maribel. We should be having fun."

"Okay, Angus."

The two of them go to the dance floor.

"Who's the lovely lady there, Major?" asks Ocean Patrol Commander Archibald Cramer, dancing with a lady of his own.

ooooooooo

"Enjoying yourself, Grant?" asks Commander Yamada.

"Fine, Commander Yamada," replies Claudia, sitting down at a table with her speech slurred.

"I'm glad you don't have duty tomorrow, Lieutenant," replies the commander. "I'd hate to have one of my officers to have a hell of a hangover on duty."

_There goes Roy with his date, _she thinks. She starts to think of other things, such as what they might be doing tonight. _Why did I even think I had a chance with him?_

The ballroom is almost empty when she leaves. It takes supreme effort for her to walk upright. She can see the outline of Alien Star Ship One; a few lights are still on there.


	6. Chapter 6

U.N. Air Force Colonel Edwards looks at the officers in the conference room, noticing that someone where.

"Where is Lieutenant Mayfield?" asks the colonel.

"I don't know, sir," replies a sandy-haired lieutenant.

"I'd better call her. Corporal, get me Lieutenant Mayfield's phone number."

"Yes, sir," replies a Space Marine corporal.

The corporal hands the colonel a telephone number. Edwards picks up the phone inside the conference room and dials the number for Mayfield's quarters and cell phone.

"No answer," he says. "Any of you know where Mayfield's quarters are?"

"Yes, sir," replies an Air Force lieutenant.

"Okay, Lieutenant Holmes. Go over to Mayfield's quarters and find out where she's at."

Edwards starts thinking as Lieutenant Holmes leaves the Project Valkyrie offices.

_If Mayfield shows up, she's gonna be in big trouble. Right now, I'm busting my ass about our latest delay. The technicians say that the prototypes aren't ready yet for space test flights._

Ooooooooo

That afternoon, Lieutenant Claudia Grant has the tower. The sight of Roy Fokker with his date is still in the background of her mind even as she keeps track of all the air traffic going into and out of the base.

_Gotta keep busy_.

"Doing fine there, Corporal?" asks the lieutenant.

"Yes, ma'am," replies Corporal Yi.

"Attention on deck!" yells the duty sergeant.

Claudia turns around and sees Commander Richard Yamada. With him is a swarthy-looking man with a big nose; he is dressed in short-sleeve khakis with an SP armband. The brass oak leaf on his collar indicates that he is a lieutenant commander.

"Someone is here to see you, Lieutenant Grant," says Yamada. "Lieutenant Hayes will take over."

"Yes, sir," replies Grant. She walks downstairs into the hallway.

"Lieutenant Commander Tariq Rantisi, commander of the U.N. Spacy Police component for this base," says the visitor.

"Lieutenant Claudia Grant, assigned to air traffic control," she replies. "How may I help you, sir?"

"Do you know a Spacy Lieutenant Sally Mayfield?" asks Rantisi.

"Yes, Commander."

"How well did you know her, Lieutenant Grant?"

"Not very well, sir. I've spoken to her when going out at night having drinks, but I don't know her like a best friend would know her."

"When was the last time you saw Lieutenant Mayfield?"

Memories of that night resurface. "At the ball Saturday night, sir. Roy Fokker was her date."

"Did you speak to her, Lieutenant?"

"No, sir. I saw her leave with Lieutenant Fokker."

"Did she call you?"

"No, sir."

"Do you know anyone else who knows Lieutenant Mayfield?"

"You could talk to Lisa," says Claudia. "Lieutenant Lisa Hayes, she's watching the tower while I'm here talking to you, sir."

"Thank you for your time, Lieutenant Grant," says Commander Rantisi. "You are dismissed."

"Aye aye, sir."

Claudia walks back up to her duty station.

Ooooooo

The staff of Project Valkyrie has an important meeting on Tuesday, both United Earth Forces officers and Stonewell Bellcom executives.

"So the prototypes are not ready yet?" asks Major General Ahmadu Sako.

"No, sir," says a Stonewell Bellcom technician. "We need a few components and supplies, such as heat shielding and adhesives. But we don't have it here. We'd have to order it."

"When is the earliest that we can start space test flights?" asks the general.

"Thursday's the earliest, sir. Next week is more realistic."

"Perhaps we can ask the High Command for the parts, sir," suggests Colonel Edwards.

"Yes, we could," replies Sako. "And then we'd have to wait. With High Command concentrating on that peacekeeping mission in Africa, especially after that terrorist bombing, we're not much of an urgent priority."

The senior Stonewell Bellcom executive speaks up. "I can talk with the main corporate office back in California," says the executive. "This project is worth billions to the company. The CEO will be able to give us the attention that the U.N. High Command won't."

"Get to it. In the meantime, we'd better do as much as we can to ensure that the prototypes are ready for space flights. We don't need any further delays. Dismissed."

General Sako remains in the conference room. Project Valkyrie has had so many delays- nearly a month now. General Crump back at headquarters will likely demand an update soon.

_If I wanted a stress-free life, I would not have accepted a commission in the United Nations Space Marines._

Oooooooooo

Lieutenant Commander Tariq Rantisi rises up and then hears a knock on the door.

"What is it?" he asks.

"A detective from the Macross City Police is here to see you, sir," says a male voice.

"Send him in, Policeman Barnes." Rantisi starts folding a mat.

A man in a suit enters the commander's office. Rantisi stands behind his desk, which has all sorts of papers.

"Lieutenant Commander Rantisi, U.N. Spacy," he says. "I am provost marshal for this base. How may I help you?"

"Detective Bruno Fantone, Macross City Police Department," replies the detective. "I am here to see you about Lieutenant Sally Mayfield."

"Mayfield," says Rantisi, looking through his files. "She was reported AWOL by her commanding officer, an Air Force Colonel Edwards. Have you picked her up?"

"No, Commander. I suspect that Sally Mayfield's disappearance may be tied to two other cases."

"I have two other AWOL cases, Detective Fantone."

"It's not the AWOL cases, Commander Rantisi. I suspect that Lieutenant Mayfield's disappearance is tied to that of two civilian females." Bruno places two files on Rantisi's desk. "Abigail McGee and Sadako Kakizaki. McGee was a high school student, and Kakizaki was a waitress. They were both last seen in public. No one reported them going home or into a friend's house"

"Now that I remember," says Commander Rantisi, "witnesses said that Lieutenant Mayfield was last seen at the ball last Saturday. The ball was at the community center. I know; I was there."

"Could you direct me to the community center?"

ooooooo

"Here it is, Detective."

"Not much," says Fantone.

"It looked a lot better during the ball."

All the decorations are gone, leaving behind a clean floor and some sofas in the front area. Fantone can see into the ballroom; it is now bare of any furniture, just a wooden floor. The whole place is like a fallow field, waiting for planting and harvesting.

"Wait," says the detective. He is staring up; he had seen a security camera. "I hope that was on Saturday night. I'll need to have a copy made."

"Of course, Detective. In the meantime, you may want to contact the base's OCI field office; they handle criminal investigations involving the military."

OCI is the Office of Criminal Investigations, an agency of the U.N. Army that investigates crimes involving the United Earth Forces.

"Just as long as they understand that _I'm_ in charge," says Fantone. "But I can use the help."

Ooooooooo

"Hey, Roy," says one of the female technicians, standing in the hangar.

"I heard the news," replies Roy. "We're gonna take these things into space tomorrow morning." He looks up at one of the prototype veritechs, its outer skin stripped away.

"It took long enough," says Lieutenant Holmes. The shadows inside the hangar get longer as the sun sets, hidden from view by the right hangar wall.

"Since we're not on duty," says Lieutenant Eddie Marsden, "let us par-tay!"

"Yeah," says another test pilot.

"We've worked so hard these past few days," says another technician, clad in dirty overalls.

Pretty soon, the technicians and the test pilots have a party in the hangar, which is a frequent occurrence every afternoon.

Roy glances out of the open hangar. He sees Claudia walking away. He starts to walk out.

_Why bother?_ He continues to celebrate, but not too hard.

Ooooooo

Lieutenant Roy Fokker finds himself sitting inside the prototype veritech. He had been the first test pilot to take it into the air, and once again he will fly it in space.

"Eagle Carrier, you are cleared for takeoff on Runway 2," says an air traffic controller.

He is not taking the plane up into space, though. A Stonewell Bellcom SC-27 Star Goose shuttle is taking the plane up into lower Earth orbit. Right now, the veritech's re-entry capabilities are going to be tested. Only the auxiliary systems are on inside the test craft.

Roy looks out and sees the clear blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Macross City already appears to be a tiny dot. Soon he can see the Japanese islands, one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Everything seems to shrink, and the sky gets darker and darker, until it becomes a black expanse dotted with white lights.

Memories of space aviation training surface in his mind. Being an ace, he had been admitted into the space aviator program as soon as the doctors cleared him. He can still remember his first space flight, and the lessons he had learned.

"The rules are different," his instructor, a lieutenant commander, had said. "There is no drag. Reverse thrust is the only thing slowing you down. If you run out of fuel, you will keep going at a constant speed until you hit something."

"We are preparing for stage separation, Eaglet," says the Star Goose's pilot.

"I copy," says Roy. He feels vibrations as explosive bolts separate the veritech from the shuttle. "Engaging primary power." Roy flips switches and presses buttons to activate the main reflex engines of the prototype veritech. "Eaglet is now separated."

"Remember that this test is restricted to fighter mode," says Colonel Edwards.

Roy looks around. He can see the space station _Phoenix _in the distance. He also knows that there are thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth. The veritech's radar warns him of any objects. Hitting a satellite would punch a hole through the craft.

Now he tests maneuvers, using the thrusters to achieve a higher orbit. Up in space, he can not see himself move; Earth appears to be very still. The only indication of movement is on his instrument gauges and the radar showing his position relative to satellites and ships in orbit.

He pushes the stick to the left to do a barrel roll, and vernier thrusters rotate the plane around the roll axis. The controls had been designed so that the vernier thrusters would achieve the same effect in a vacuum that ailerons would achieve in an atmosphere. He then performs another roll to the right.

"Roll maneuvers are the same up here as down there," he reports. "Now to do a loop."

He pulls the stick back to perform a loop. Earth seems to disappear, and then reappear right above him and spin around. _Just like space aviator training, except you're getting paid more 'cuz this is an experimental aircraft._

"Okay, Eaglet," says Colonel Edwards. "Now it's time to return to Earth. Prepare for re-entry."

"Copy," says Roy. "Eaglet to Orbital Traffic Control."

"Eaglet, this is Orbital Traffic Control," says an orbital traffic controller. "You are authorized to re-enter at Entry Zone Four-Bravo."

"Copy." Roy knows that entry zone 4-B would put him in the northern Pacific. Re-entry zones are almost always located above the oceans.

He turns the plane so it faces towards Earth. The veritech is now going backwards. It is unusual to fly backwards. Roy remembers the first time he flew backwards; it was very disorienting to him, having flown atmospheric craft that only went forward in the air.

He now engages the leg thrusters. The effect is reducing the veritech's speed _in relation to Earth_, allowing the craft to descend.

He watches the external temperature gauge, just as he had been trained during his Space Aviator School days. He sees it rise quite a bit.

"Eaglet has made contact with the atmosphere," he says.

Soon the veritech is surrounded by an orange glow. Roy activates the heat shield that slides over the cockpit. He recalls the lesson that it takes a lot of energy for something to go to orbit, and to return to Earth it has to release that energy. The heat of re-entry had been the energy used to put the plane into orbit, now being released. He takes a quick look at the instrument panel, making sure the veritech is falling down with the bottom facing the ground. He knows that the greater surface area exposed in the direction of the fall increases drag and generates an air cushion that acts as an outer heat shield.

_Let's hope the heat shield holds, or I'm burnt toast. _

The temperature rises as the kinetic energy is converted to heat energy via friction. He can see the needle approaching the red zone.

_Come on, don't climb any higher._

The needle then begins to drop. It continues to drop.

"Things are getting cooler," says Roy.

"This is Pacific Area Control Center," says a voice. "We are now directing you."

"This is U.N. Spacy Flight Eaglet," says Roy. "I copy."

"Welcome back to Earth. We have a weather advisory of a storm system due to pass over Macross City."

The remainder of the test flight is uneventful. A little over an hour after re-entry, the prototype veritech's landing gear tires make contact with the concrete runway. Roy taxis the plane back to the hangar where the technicians will go over every square inch.

"How was the space flight, squid?" asks Major Angus Beckett as Roy steps down.

"Not much to it, jarhead," replies Roy.

"Wait 'till we test the transformations up there. And then we have to land these things on aircraft carriers at sea and in space. We'll be busy."

Oooooooo

That afternoon, Angus Beckett returns home. It had been a long day for him, having to study. It is said that the bulk of a test pilot's job is to read about the plane and the test flight results; only a small portion of the time is actually spent flying.

_And yet, that small portion is the most important part._

"Maribel?" the Space Marine major asks. "I'm home."

The house sounds quiet. The kids are usually home to greet him when he gets off duty.

_Maybe she's with one of the other wives._ Angus recalls a few of the women living in family housing have husbands deployed on board the _Prometheus._

He walks to the master bedroom and sees a scrap of paper. He instantly recognizes the handwriting as that of his wife.

_Dearest Angus,_

_Every day I think more and more of losing you to one of those test flights. I don't want to be a widow._

_I took the kids home to my Mom. Please understand that I need to sort things out._

_Love,_

_Maribel._

He crumples the paper. The approaching clouds outside are not the only cause of the room getting dimmer.

Oooooo

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" yells a man.

Detective Bruno Fantone watches as a girl in her late teens dances on the stage. She wears little more than a bikini top and the bikini bottom. The room is filled with hollers as the girl takes her top off. Fantone throws money at the girl.

_It's better than paying alimony for the ex._

The Big Bounce Strip Club is one of his favorite places. He can easily keep an eye on the more undesirable elements of the city in here.

And, of course, he can keep both eyes on the most desirable elements.

He hears his Nokia cell phone ring.

"Bruno Fantone here," he says.

"It's Wong, boss," says a voice. "Head to the station; I got something to show you."

"Okay," he says, taking one more look at the bare-breasted girl.

Ooooooooo

"What is it, Wong?" asks Fantone as he enters the detectives' squad room.

"Come with me, boss," replies Detective Wong. Fantone follows him downstairs, entering a room with dozens of plasma monitors. "Remember when we reviewed the footage from the military ball?"

"Yes," replies Fantone. "Sally Mayfield was last seen."

"I figured why not do the same for Sadako Kakizaki? She was last seen in Space. I went over to the casino and asked for video footage of the club and the hallway just outside it."

"Great work, Wong!" He had been hoping for a break, any break, especially since another girl was reported missing yesterday.

"It's running right there."

Fantone looks at the screen, he can see the color images of the hallway outside Space. "Let's see what we have here."

Ooooooo

"And on my next leave, I want to ride my family's horses again," says the young raven-haired lady. "How's it like flying those planes, Fokker?"

"Uh..it's great," replies Roy, standing inside the nightclub Space. He and the other test pilots are dressed in Class A service uniforms.

"It must be very fun, getting to fly new things. I wish I could do that."

"Uh, yeah."

"Is something botherin' you, Fokker?" asks Eddie Marsden.

"Not really," replies Roy.

The crowd that gathered in Space is happy; their troubles buried for the night as the music plays on. Roy feels out of it, as if he is on the other side of the galaxy.

He gets up and leaves.

"I wonder where he's going," says the girl.

"Beats me," replies Marsden. "Wanna dance?"

ooooooo

The rain pours heavily down on Roy even as he runs through the streets of Macross City. He did not drive, as one of the others had volunteered to drive. No one had any desire to spend a night in the brig for drunk driving.

He eventually reaches the street just outside the base's family housing. The buildings obscure Alien Star Ship One from view. Seeing a lit phone booth, he runs to it, inserts his credit card, and dials. He hears it ringing and ringing. He so wants to talk.

"Lieutenant Grant speaking," answers a female voice that Roy recognizes instantly.

"Hello, Claudia," says Roy. "Did I wake you up? I hope you weren't sleeping. I gotta see you, Claudia. Please, you can't say no."

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's midnight. So what?"

"Are you crazy?" asks Claudia, clearly irritated at being woken up.

"Now, is it okay to come up?"

"What? You can't be serious."

"I have never been so serious in my life. Okay, why don't you come out here then?"

"Come out where?"

"The phone booth right in front of your apartment," replies the test pilot.

"You're here?"

"Yes, I'm here, and it won't take long. Would you come?"

Roy hears a click. "Hello? Hello?"

He hears a dial tone.

_I am crazy to think she'll go out in this rain. What a waste. I should just…_ "Hi," he says, seeing Claudia underneath an umbrella. "Sorry to ask you out in this raging rainstorm. But I just had to see you, Claudia."

"Look at you," says Claudia. "You're soaking wet!"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have come."

"Is there something wrong?" queries Claudia.

"Something wrong?" answers Roy. "Yeah, you might say so. I saw you standing at the hangar the other day. Well, it bothered me a lot. It probably did not mean anything to you, but there is a reason why I act like that sometimes, and I just needed to explain it to you. See, I've never told anyone my deepest feelings, Claudia. But I want to share them with you, so listen please. Every pilot has to live with fear, especially because he knows the consequences of the smallest mistake. And every time a test pilot goes up, he wonders if it will be the last time. But we do what we have to, and force ourselves to go up anyway. It can be more dangerous than combat, because you have to more time to think about what you are doing. And lately, I've become convinced that the next time will be it for me. It will be the last time."

"Why do you do it, then?" asks Claudia, already starting to have a real educational experience about this man whom she had known on and off for years. "If this is the way you feel about it, to continue is insane. Why don't you walk away from it? Why keep risking your life expecting to die?"

"Because I know the fear is temporary and sooner or later it will pass like it always has so many times before. Besides, who else is gonna do it? I mean, there's a desperate need for experienced pilots. You know that. The war crippled our military capabilities, and those of us who survived that have a responsibility to future generations. Believe me, I can't walk away. Which finally brings me to the reason I'm out here tonight, Claudia. It's true that in the past, I've liked having a lot of girls around. But I can't talk to any of them. Am I being clear? Don't you see? I need someone to talk to about these things, just like tonight. And the only person I can think of is you."

"It's okay," says Claudia, having learned more about Roy this minute than she has in the past few years. "I'm…I'm here."

"Please forgive me," says Roy. "I mean, those girls mean _nothing_ to me, Claudia. _Nothing._"

Roy then runs off. He wonders what Claudia thinks of him now. He has certainly changed the dynamic between them. He is far from certain that this dynamic is for the better. He treasures every spoken word of that conversation; it is unlikely that he will ever forget.

He hears a whooping sound, and sees a police car in front of him, the red and blue lights flashing.

_I wonder what happened here._

"Stop right there!" yells a police officer.

_They can't be after _me!

A man in a suit shows a badge. "Roy Fokker, you're under arrest on four counts of murder."

The detective handcuffs Roy and shoves him into the back seat of a Toyota Avalon police cruiser. Roy will not forget those words either.


	7. Chapter 7

U.N. Spacy First Lieutenant Roy Fokker is dry now.

The one hundred watt incandescent lamp directly above him had dried off his uniform and hair that had been soaking wet from the heavy downpour outside. The light is reflected brightly off the steel table.

"Let's begin this, Fokker," says Detective Bruno Fantone. "Where is Sally Mayfield?"

"I don't know," says Roy. "I last saw her at the ball last week."

"So you say," says the detective. "How long have you known Miss Mayfield?"

"Since I was assigned to the U.N. base in Macross City. She was one of the technical officers."

"When did you first meet Miss Mayfield that Saturday night?"

"I picked her up at her quarters and I took her to the ball," answers Roy. "We were there, and then I left."

"You left?" asks Fantone.

"She wasn't the date I was expecting. I ended the date there and then I went back to my quarters."

"Could anyone vouch for you?"

"My roommate, Lieutenant Eddie Marsden, came in a few hours later."

"So there were a few hours that no one else could account for," says Detective Fantone. "So you left early, and she was still at the ball when you left."

"Yes, that's right."

"Witnesses say that you left _with _Sally Mayfield."

"What witnesses?" asks Roy.

"I'm asking the questions here, Fokker," says the detective. "What did you do with Sally Mayfield?"

"Nothing."

Fantone slams a flyer onto the table. "What about Sadako Kakizaki?" asks the detective. "Where is she?"

"Who?" asks Roy, looking at the picture of the dark-haired girl that is on the flyer.

"The girl you took from Space the night she was last seen. Where is she?"

Roy stands up. "I'm not answering any of your questions, Detective."

Fantone pushes Roy back in the chair. "This isn't America, pal. You do _not_ have the right to remain silent. Refusal to answer my questions constitutes a criminal offense."

"I don't know where Sadako Kakizaki is."

"What about Abigail McGee?" asks the detective. He slams another flyer on the table. "She was only sixteen. What did you do to her, you pervert? What did you do with the others? Did you bury them? Eat them? Are you keeping them in some dungeon so that you can do them at will?"

"No," says Roy.

Fantone slams down another flyer. "What about Ivina Govich? She was a young tourist who went missing Thursday. Is she part of your collection?"

"No. I did not do anything with them. I did not kill them!"

"So you're just holding them in a dungeon."

"No, I am not. I want a lawyer"

"You'll get a lawyer when you're charged with murder. Is anyone else working with you, Roy Fokker. Name names!"

"I did not kill those girls, nor am I keeping them somewhere."

"I don't believe you, Fokker. Lying to the police is also a criminal offense, although the extra sentence is minor compared to what you're facing."

Roy hears the door slam.

"So that's the guy," says Police Chief Scott Bernard, standing in an adjacent room.

"Yeah, we identified him from security camera footage and witness statements," replies Detective Fantone.

"I hope it was worth it having to wake up and drive through this pouring rain. Any more leads? Any partners?"

"We're checking all of his communications. His land and cell lines are already tapped."

Bernard looks at Fokker through the window. "Detective, how long do you have him?"

"We can keep him until the next business day, when we have to present him before a judicial authority to charge him with something or else we gotta let him go," answers the detective. "The next business day is Monday, so he's ours for the weekend."

"And he's in the military, right? So his CO would act as a judicial authority."

"Of course."

"I'd better get some sleep," says the chief, yawning. "I promised the wife and kids to take them to Haha-jima Island this morning. What is this world coming to?"

"See you later, Chief," says Bruno Fantone.

Ooooooooo

The gym at the Macross City U.N. Spacy Base is popular with the personnel stationed at the base. The gym includes treadmills, weightlifting equipment, dumbbells, and free weights. Several smaller rooms are for classroom instruction or racquetball practice. Upbeat music plays throughout the gym.

Lieutenant Claudia Grant runs on one of the treadmills, clad in a gray T-shirt reading "SPACY" and gym shorts, which is the typical exercise outfit for a servicewoman. She hears her cell phone ring, and answers it.

"Lieutenant Grant speaking," she says.

"Claudia, it's Vince," says Vince. "The police are here, and they want to see you. I hope you're not in any trouble."

"I'll be right there, Vince."

Claudia jogs out of the gym and along the streets of the base, towards the base family housing where she is billeted. It is not that hard of a workout. She is briefly reminded of her initial physical training when she was a raw recruit in the Spacy.

_I wore out after four minutes._

She reaches the townhouse where she is billeted, and enters the door.

"Are you Lieutenant Claudia Grant?" asks a man in a suit.

"Why yes," says Claudia. She looks around, and sees Spacy policemen inside the living room, including Lieutenant Commander Tariq Rantisi.

"I'm Detective Bruno Fantone, Macross City PD. I want to ask you a few questions."

"About what?" asks Claudia.

"Do you know a Lieutenant Sally Mayfield?"

"I've met her before, and I've been with her out to bars and clubs; I do not _know_ her as I would a friend."

"Were you at the ball last week?"

"Yes, I was. And Sally Mayfield was there with Roy Fokker. I heard she's listed as AWOL. The Spacy Police asked me about her earlier this week."

"How long did you know Roy Fokker?" asks the detective.

"I've known him since I was stationed at the Laramie Spacy Air Station in Wyoming," replies the lieutenant.

"And describe you relationship with Roy Fokker."

"He was trying to charm me, as he always does. After Laramie, I was stationed aboard ARMD-01 and I went on a cruise, with shore leave on Mars. After my space duty was done, I was stationed here in Macross City, near Alien Star Ship One."

"Did you start a relationship with Roy Fokker?" asks Fantone.

"No, I did not."

"At midnight today, Roy Fokker spoke with you on the phone."

Claudia shows surprise that the detective knows that. "Yes, he did. He wanted to talk, so I went out to meet him."

"In the pouring rain?"

"Yes."

:"What did you talk about?"

"Personal stuff."

"What kind of personal stuff?" asks the detective.

"That is none of your business."

"You are required to answer his questions, Lieutenant," says Commander Rantisi. "Last time I checked, you're not a lawyer or chaplain."

"Roy spoke about his fears," says Claudia. "Test pilots do fly aircraft that hasn't been tested before."

"And he wanted to talk to you out in the pouring rain just to talk to you about _that_?" asks the detective. "You expect me to believe that, Grant?"

"It is the truth. Whether you want to believe it is up to you."

"What were you really talking about?"

"Like I said, Roy wanted to talk about all the fears and stress he goes through as a combat pilot."

"Okay then, Lieutenant Grant," says Detective Fantone. "We will search this place."

"You're searching my home?"

"It's part of a criminal investigation," says Commander Rantisi. "Don't interfere."

"Why? Did Sally Mayfield do something more than become AWOL?" asks Claudia.

And so the Spacy policemen and two of the Macross City police officers search the quarters of Claudia Grant, turning over couch cushions, looking through bookcases, opening drawers and cupboards, and even opening the refrigerator.

"We have a laptop here," says a Spacy police sergeant. "It might have something useful."

"It's mine," protests Claudia.

"We are going to impound it for evidence," says Fantone. "We will return it to you after we copy the data."

"There could be classified data in there," says Vince Grant, watching from the hallway.

"I'd have to arrest the lieutenant here if that's true," replies Commander Rantisi.

Oooooooo

The next day, Detective Bruno Fantone walks alongside Chief Scott Bernard in the Macross City Civic Center.

"Nothing turned up on that broad's computer so far, even though we copied the hard drive," says the detective. "We did plant a device which will allow us to monitor her wireless connections."

"And you tapped her land and cell lines too, right?" asks the chief.

"Of course."

"Do you think Claudia Grant worked with Fock-er?"

"I don't know, Chief. I've also spoken to his roommate Eddie Marsden. And of course, I've tapped his cell phone line."

Bernard faces a crowd of people. Some of them hold video cameras, while others take photographs. A news van is parked outside on the street that serves the civic center.

"Good morning," says the police chief. "As many of you know, at least four girls have been reported missing. We have a suspect in custody, a Spacy Lieutenant Roy Fock-er. We expect criminal charges to be filed tomorrow morning."

"Do you know where the missing girls are?" asks a reporter.

"No," answers Bernard. "Roy Fock-er refused to tell us where he has hidden them."

"Has he confessed?" asks another reporter.

"No, he has not."

"Did he work alone?"

"We are still too early in the investigation to determine one way or the other. We are getting assistance from Interpol, as well as the military's Office of Criminal Investigations."

Claudia sees the police chief's news conference from her living room. She sits down on the couch, knowing that she will not be able to stand much longer.

Oooooooo

On Monday at around 1100, Lieutenant Roy Fokker is brought into the Macross City Spacy Base's brig, escorted by Detective Bruno Fantone and five Macross City police officers. They enter through the prisoner processing area, accessed by a side entrance. Two Spacy policemen bearing Remington shotguns stand guard, while a Spacy lieutenant in charge of the brig sits at a table.

Detective Fantone signs a paper, which is countersigned by the brig officer, recording the transfer of custody. Major General Ahmadu Sako then turns in a form, authorizing confinement on charges of murder.

A Spacy police sergeant and a corporal escort Fokker into the brig.

Ooooooooo

"I can't grant you leave, Major Beckett," says General Sako, sitting behind his desk inside his office.

"My wife just left with the kids, sir," protests Major Angus Beckett. "I have to go see her."

"I sympathize with your situation, Major," says the general. "But we have very few experienced pilots. We need you to test the next generation of fighter aircraft, especially those that will be useful if those giants come to bring war to Earth. We can't spare anymore; I already threw Lieutenant Fokker into the brig on murder charges."

"I don't think I can fly with these distractions going on, sir. It's family business."

"I have to refuse your request for emergency leave. Your wife might have gone to her mother's house, but she and the kids are still alive, as far as I know."

"With all due respect, sir, I must disagree with your decision," says another voice.

General Sako looks and sees Space Marine Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff standing at the door.

"I'd better like what you have to hear, Colonel," grumbles the general.

"You've been a combat pilot just like the rest of us, sir," says the colonel. "So you know as well as I do how important it is to have someone to fly home to. We go up there risking our lives, and our motivation to return to the ground safely is our family, our friends, our loved ones. And just as important is a clear emotional state. If a pilot is distracted by family issues, he's a danger to himself and to us. So let me fly this next test flight in his stead."

Silence reigns for about ten minutes. "I agree with you, Colonel Maistroff," says General Sako. "Major Beckett, you are dismissed."

"Aye aye, sir," replies Beckett, standing at attention before turning around and leaving the large office.

"And Maistroff," continues the general, "interrupt me like this again and you can spend the evening inside a nice warm brig. Now get in your flight suit."

"Yes, sir," replies the colonel.

About an hour later, Colonel Maistroff is inside a prototype veritech. This time, he will be taking the plane into low orbit under its own power.

_You owe me one, Angus,_ he thinks as he pushes the throttle forward, taking the experimental aircraft into the air.

Ooooooooo

_It's roomier than the junior officers' quarters on ARMD-13_.

While the cell is ten feet by eight feet, Roy does have the whole thing to himself, while he shared a room on ARMD-13 with six other men, with only a shelf to sleep in. There is some freedom of movement in the brig. An exercise yard is outside for the prisoners, and prisoners can use a small library. Some of the prisoners who were sent here for minor offenses and disciplinary infractions only spend the night here, released to their commanding officers during the day for a work-release program.

_I doubt murder suspects can participate._

"Lieutenant Fokker," calls out a voice. The owner of the voice is revealed when the door opens. "your lawyer is here to see you."

"My lawyer?" asks Roy. This means that a court-martial had been convened.

Three mountains shaped like men in Spacy Police outfits escort him to a small room. The room is barely furnished with a table and two foldaway chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs is a man wearing service khakis.

"Commander Elliot," says the man. "I'm your attorney."

"So I'm being court-martialed, sir," says Fokker. "You wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

"Yes, you are being court-martialed for three counts of murder," says Elliot. "There's not enough evidence to charge you with Ivina Govich's murder."

"That's good."

"Being convicted of three murders is almost the same as being convicted of four," says Elliot. "I want you to tell me everything. _And tell the truth._ What you say here stays between us, so don't hold back. Have you ever met Abigail McGee?"

"No," says Roy.

"Did you hear anything about her prior to your arrest?"

"I might have. She was listed as missing, and I might have read about it in the paper or saw it on the news."

"And Sadako Kakizaki?"

"Same here. If she was a regular at Space, I might have seen her there. I never spoke to her."

"Now about Sally Mayfield," says Commander Elliot. "You do know her."

"Yes, I did. I hung around her circle; she's a technical officer for Project Valkyrie and she examines the prototype airplanes we're testing."

"How did you feel about Lieutenant Mayfield."

"Well, she was kinda fun, sir. But I just can't talk to her. I just can't relate to her."

"You took her to the ball, correct?"

"Yes, sir. I picked her up and took her there."

"And you last saw her there, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you take her home?"

"No, sir. I left without her."

"Lieutenant Fokker, there are police statements saying that you left with her," says Elliot, reading through papers. "Lieutenant Claudia Grant told the base provost marshal, Lieutenant Commander Rantisi, that you left with Lieutenant Mayfield, back when she was believed to be AWOL. That was the Monday after the ball. She re-iterated that statement to Detective Fantone."

"She's wrong."

"Did Claudia Grant have any problem with you at the time?" asks the lawyer.

"She did reject my earlier advances towards her- not that I blame her. I don't think she would lie about me, it's just that what she knows ain't so."

"When did you first make moves on her, Lieutenant Fokker?"

"When I was stationed at the Laramie Air Station in Wyoming. We didn't hit it off, though."

Commander Elliot asks Lieutenant Fokker more and more questions.

"Arraignment's tomorrow, Fokker. We'll meet with the trial counsel."

Oooooooo

The next morning, the guards escort Roy into a meeting room, different from the one where he met Commander Elliot. Commander Elliot is inside the room, as well as an auburn-haired woman in short-sleeve khakis. The pin on her collar indicates that she is a Space Marine.

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Bell, the trial counsel," says the woman. "You face three murder charges, possibly a fourth if the police connect you to the disappearance of Ivina Govich."

"I didn't kill them," says Fokker.

"We should listen to what she has to say, Lieutenant," says Elliot. "I've worked with her for five years, since the founding of the UN JAG."

"The U.N. does not have the death penalty in its territories, unlike places like China, Japan, and our homeland of America," says Colonel Bell. "What we have is the Grave. It is a maximum-security disciplinary barracks deep under the Ural Mountains in Russia, constructed inside an old Russian fallout shelter. Prisoners spend twenty-three hours a day in a cell as big as a closet, smaller than what a buck crewman gets inside a space cruiser. All meals are taken inside the cell. The cell has its own shower. Whenever you get to leave the cell, you will be fitted with a stun belt. If you so much as look at a guard the wrong way, you will be shocked. The electric shock is enough to cause a bowel release, requiring replacement of underwear, which will annoy the guards even more. As things look now, you can look forward to spend the rest of your life inside the Grave. If you plead guilty, I'll recommend a sentence of sixty years."

"But I'll be eighty by the time I get out," protests Roy.

"At least you have a better chance of leaving alive, to feel the sun again. But I can offer you a way to avoid the Grave and instead go to a disciplinary barracks in Korea where things are not as strict and you can actually get to feel the sun. If those three are still alive, tell us where they are and we will drop the murder charges and charge you with false imprisonment and anything else you did. If you don't want to tell us where they are, or any of them are dead, it's the Grave for you."

"No deal," says Roy.

"See you at the arraignment."

Ooooooo

One of the buildings in the Macross City Spacy Base functions as a courtroom, with pews in the front and the judge's bench in back. The room is packed, with both civilians and military. Lieutenant Roy Fokker stands at the defense table, clad in a Class "C" service uniform- a white pants, short-sleeve white shirt with a nametag on the left breast and decorations on the right breast and shoulder boards indicating the first lieutenant rank.

"Court-martial is now in session," says the bailiff, a Spacy police corporal. "The Honorable Captain Yu Shang presiding."

Captain Shang, wearing a black robe over his Class "C's", sits at the judge's seat. "Lieutenant Roy Fokker, you are charged with three counts of murder, as specified in the appendix." The appendix is a file containing the specifics of the charges, and sits on the defense and prosecution tables. "How do you plead?"

"I plead not guilty to all charges, your Honor," says Roy.

"The not guilty plea is entered into record," says Shang. "Defendant is remanded to custody of Spacy police."

"Your Honor," says Commander Elliot, "I file a motion for a change of venue. This case has generated a lot of publicity in Macross City. Perhaps moving the trial to a base in Korea or Japan?"

"Counselor, we have not even begun jury selection," says Captain Shang. "I will rule on the motion after depositions are done. Unless counselors wish to skip the depositions?"

"No, sir," both trial and defense counsel say.

"Depositions begin tomorrow morning," says Shang. "Make sure to submit your witness lists."

Sitting on a pew, Lieutenant Claudia Grant watches as two Spacy policemen escort Roy from the courtroom.


	8. Chapter 8

U

U.N. Ocean Patrol Lieutenant Eddie Marsden sits in the cockpit of the prototype veritech fighter as it travels at six hundred knots high above the Pacific Ocean.

"Targets have been released, Strike Eaglet," says a voice.

"Copy," replies Marsden. He looks at the radar screen. "I've got them spotted on my radar."

He reduces power to slow down, feeling the rush of rapid changes in speed. The rush is one of the reasons he became a space combat aviator.

"I got targets lined up, and the master arm is on," he says. "I am now firing lasers."

He pulls the trigger, firing the Mauler ROV-20 laser at the huge hydrogen balloons used as practice targets in the air. The laser beams ignite the hydrogen gas as they hit the balloons, generating bright explosions.

"Now to test the gun pod," he says even as more balloons are launched.

He switches the weapons control to the GU-11 55mm tri-barrel gun pod, which is mounted below the plane, resembling a black cigar. The 55 mm rounds are propelled at high speed, hitting the balloons.

_At least the targeting system's working. _

"We will now begin testing the missiles," says Colonel Edwards, sitting inside a Cat's Eye recon plane.

"Copy," replies Marsden. He switches over to missiles.

"We are releasing the targets."

The targets are not balloons; they are radio-controlled small turboprop airplanes that had been retired from service and are now considered expendable.

"I see the targets," says the test pilot. "Locking on one of them now."

He presses the trigger, and a missile is launched from under the wing of the fighter.

"Scratch one," he says. He has a visual on the other target airplanes. The fighter's combat computer locks on, and Marsden fires another missile, blowing the target into aluminum debris. He continues until all of the targets are destroyed.

"Good work, Strike Eaglet," says Colonel Edwards. "Return to base."

"Yes, sir," replies Lieutenant Marsden.

Ooooooo

"The deposition is now in session," says Captain Shang, sitting at a table inside a room in the U.N. brig. He wears short-sleeve service khakis instead of the service uniforms that he would normally wear in public court appearances. "We will begin with questioning the defendant, Lieutenant Roy Fokker. Lieutenant Fokker, you are under penalty of perjury and you will be required to answer all questions."

"Yes, sir," replies Lieutenant Roy Fokker, clad in an orange jumpsuit.

"State your name and rank for the record," says the trial judge.

"Roy Fokker, First Lieutenant United Nations Spacy."

"What is your current assignment?"

"I was a test pilot for Project Valkyrie. I currently reside in Macross City."

"Lieutenant Fokker, did you kill Abigail McGee?"

"Sir, I already plead not guilty."

"This is under penalty of perjury, Lieutenant. Did you kill Abigail McGee?"

"No, sir."

"Did you kill Sadako Kakizaki?"

"No, sir."

"Did you kill Sally Mayfield?"

"No, sir."

"Have you ever met Detective Bruno Fantone before your arrest?"

"No, sir."

"Have you met any of the people that you are accused of murdering?"

"I met Sally Mayfield," says Roy. "She was a technical officer for Project Valkyrie."

"Describe your relationship with Sally Mayfield."

"She was an acquaintance, sir."

"Have you met me, or the trial or defense counsel, before your arrest?"

"No, sir."

"My questioning is done," says Captain Shang. "Trial counsel may begin questioning."

"It's true you went on a date with Lieutenant Sally Mayfield, isn't it?" asks Colonel Bell.

"Yes, ma'am," replies Fokker. "I asked her to the ball."

"Did you go home with her?" asks Bell.

"No, ma'am. I went straight home without her."

"Witnesses say that you left with her. How do you explain that, Lieutenant Fokker?"

"They must be mistaken."

"But we have security camera footage of you leaving."

"That wasn't me," protests Roy, who had seen a copy of the footage. "You can't even see my face."

"The camera footage shows you entering with Sally Mayfield."

"Of course. I _did_ come with Mayfield. I left without her."

"And you just stayed home. Your roommate did not arrive at your quarters until 0200. We know that Sally Mayfield left around 0045, so that would give you plenty of time to kill her and stash her body, wouldn't it?"

"Objection," says Commander Elliot. "Argumentative."

"This is a deposition, counselor," says Captain Shang. "Questioning is more liberal here. You know that."

"I didn't kill Sally Mayfield," says Roy.

"But there was still a lot of your time which no one else can account for?"

"Yes," admits Roy.

"Security camera footage shows that you entered the nightclub Space above the Bright Star Casino the same night Sadako Kakizaki was there, the last night she was seen. Explain that," says Bell.

"I've been to Space a couple of times with the buddies."

"So it's just a coincidence."

"Yes."

"Were you into Sally Mayfield?"

"I considered it," says Roy. "I did ask her to the ball. But she was not what I wanted, so I left."

"She wasn't good enough, so you killed her, isn't that right?"

"That's wrong, ma'am," says Roy. "I did not kill Sally Mayfield."

"And the night that Abigail McGee went missing, you were out, right?"

"It was a weekend, and I am an outgoing person, ma'am. But many people could vouch for me."

"Macross City isn't that big, Lieutenant Fokker. You could have went off on your own, killed her, hid her body, and then join your buddies again."

"I didn't kill her."

"So have you ever went out by yourself for a half hour during your nights out?" asks Colonel Bell.

"Yes, ma'am," replies Lieutenant Fokker.

"I have no more questions."

"Your turn, Commander Elliot," says Captain Shang.

"Did you kill any of those girls mentioned in the charges?" asks Elliot.

"No, sir."

The lawyer asks Roy pretty much the same questions he had asked him when he first met him inside the brig.

"And you were decorated for your actions in the war, correct?" asks Elliot.

"Yes, sir," replies Roy.

"I have a few questions," says Colonel Bell.

"Go ahead," says Shang.

"You shot down over a hundred enemy planes during the war, right?" asks Bell.

"Yes, ma'am," says Roy, with pride in his voice.

"So human life means little to you. The lives of those girls meant nothing to you."

"That's not true!" yells Roy. "I do care about lives, the lives of my friends, and the family that raised me back in Oregon, and the lives of my superiors and my subordinates, and strangers. Those people I killed in the war, they were on the wrong side."

"Were those girls on the wrong side?" asks Bell.

"No. I haven't met two of them before, and Lieutenant Mayfield was part of the team. None of them were enemy fighters, and none of them were trying to murder someone else."

"No more questions," says Colonel Bell.

"I have no questions," says Commander Elliot.

"Then we can bring in the next witness," says Captain Shang.

Detective Bruno Fantone walks inside.

"You are under penalty of perjury and you are required to answer all questions," says the judge. "State your name for the record."

"Bruno Fantone."

"And what is your position in the Macross City Police Department?"

"I am the deputy chief of the detective bureau. It's not as big as the one in Philly."

"How many detectives are under your command?" asks Shang.

"Twelve," replies Fantone.

"And what cases do you handle?"

"Robbery, homicide, sex crimes, fraud."

"Have you ever met the defendant, Lieutenant Roy Fokker, before Abigail McGee disappeared?" asks Captain Shang.

"No."

"When did you first meet Lieutenant Roy Fokker?"

"When I arrested him."

"Have you met Abigail McGee?"

"No."

"Have you met Sadako Kakizaki?"

"I might have. She is a waitress, and I've been to her restaurant before."

"What was your relationship?"

"I might have been her customer, but that would be the extent, sir."

"Have you met Sally Mayfield?" asks Captain Shang.

"No."

"Why do you believe that Lieutenant Fokker committed the crimes that you arrested him for?"

"He had the opportunity; no one else could account for every minute on those nights the girls disappeared." says Fantone. "He was seen leaving the ball with Sally Mayfield, and security camera footage was consistent. He was also seen at Space, his friends and his roommate confirm he was there the same night Sadako Kakizaki was there. We then decided to track him down and arrest him."

"I have no questions at this time," says Colonel Bell.

"I have a few," says Commander Elliot. "Detective Fantone, you searched the quarters of Lieutenant Roy Fokker, correct?"

"I did a search of his quarters before we arrested him, when we knew he was gone," says the detective. "I also requested that police officers stand by at the airport and seaport, in case he decided to take a last-minute trip by boat or plane. We went to the Space nightclub and we had just missed him, and we caught him an hour later."

"Any physical evidence found there?"

"We sent hair to the crime lab for hair and DNA analysis."

"But you did not find any of the victim's fingerprints there, not even that of Sally Mayfield, correct?" asks Elliot.

"That's right. We found Fokker's fingerprints on the doorknob at Mayfield's quarters."

"Is it possible that his fingerprints were there because he went to pick up Mayfield to take her to the ball, just as he testified earlier?"

"Yes."

"But you found no blood?"

"Correct."

"And no bodies?"

"Correct."

"Nor anything in Fokker's quarters to indicate he had knowledge of the disappearances that only the kidnapper or killer would know."

"Yes."

"And you arrested him for a fourth murder, that of Ivana Govich, and yet he was not charged."

"We're not a prosecuting authority," says Fantone. "The prosecutor here declined to charge Fokker with Govich's murder. But we are still following leads to uncover more evidence, and we will inform the court of any new developments."

"Earlier, you arrested Lin Kyle, the boyfriend of Sadako Kakizaki, soon after she disappeared. Is that correct?"

"No, I did not arrest him," says the detective. "I questioned him in the station, after witnesses told me he had an argument with her in the nightclub the night she disappeared. There wasn't any inconsistencies in his statement, and no other evidence led me to believe he killed her or was holding her somewhere, so I let him go."

"So you just let him go, even though he had an argument with Kakizaki."

"Yes. There was no other evidence, not even after we searched his apartment and tapped his phone lines."

"But you found no other evidence on Fokker from your searches and tapping his phones and his Internet connections."

"We have the witness statements and the security camera footage," says Fantone.

"No further questions," says Elliot.

"We will reconvene tomorrow," says Shang. "Corporal, if you will escort the defendant to the brig."

"Yes, sir," replies a corporal.

Minutes later, Colonel Bell and Detective Fantone walk outside the building.

"Any updates on your investigation?" asks the Space Marine colonel.

"Nothing to indicate that Fokker was working with anyone else," replies the detective. "Even after going over the laptop of that broad he spoke to just before we arrested him. If he had used his cell instead of a pay phone we would have heard what he was saying."

"At least he used his credit card to pay for the phone call," says Bell.

"Gotta go." Fantone gets inside a Honda Accord and drives back to the police headquarters.

Oooooo

The air traffic controllers inside the tower all watch and listen. Just today, they had to direct takeoffs and landings for the U.N. Space Marines' F-203 squadron based in Macross City that performed a training exercise today.

"Sir, my shift is over," says Claudia, facing Commander Richard Yamada. "Is there anything else?"

"I understand that you will be busy tomorrow during the day, Lieutenant Grant," replies the Spacy commander. "So I will assign you the graveyard shift tomorrow night. You are dismissed, Lieutenant."

She walks along the hallways of the building towards the exit, acknowledging her colleagues as they pass by. Stepping outside the building, she waits for a transport shuttle.

After waiting a few minutes, she steps aboard, sitting inside a shuttle already packed with servicemen and servicewomen. After a few minutes and two stops, she steps off.

Claudia enters the main entrance into the brig.

"Ma'am," says a Spacy police sergeant, standing at attention, "you must check all firearms."

"Of course, Sergeant," replies Claudia as she hands over a .45 Beretta. A Spacy policeman first class checks her with a metal detector.

"Sign here please, Lieutenant."

Claudia signs her name on a form. She had never visited a brig before. She enters the visitors' room. The room is divided by a barrier, separating the visitors from the prisoners. The air traffic control officer understands that there is a separate room where prisoners meet with lawyers. A sign notifies visitors that all conversations may be recorded.

_Especially conversations with people being tried for murder,_ thinks Claudia.

Roy enters the room on the other side, escorted by a guard. He wears an orange jumpsuit instead of his usual service uniform.

"Hi, Claudia," says Roy. "It's been a while."

"How are you doing?" she asks.

"Nothing," he replies. "There's a whole lot of nothing to do in the brig. I have to stay here all day except when I have to appear in court, unlike some of my fellow prisoners who get to go out on work release."

"I have to testify in a hearing tomorrow."

"It's a deposition. My lawyer, Commander Elliot, told me that depositions gather witness statements so the court and my lawyer can prepare their cases. I suppose legal jargon is as alien to me as space flight jargon would be to him. What about you?"

"I'm still assigned to the tower. I heard there were more test flights with Project Valkyrie."

"I see. They might be testing the weapons system."

"I guess I'll see what those planes can really do in a few years or so."

"In your field, you'll know about it before the civilian population."

Claudia places her hands on the one-inch glass window that is part of the separation barrier. So close, and yet so far.

"Visiting time's over, ma'am," says a freckle-faced guard.

"I'll see you later, Claudia," says Roy as another guard grabs his arm.

In a dim room on the other side of the wall from the visiting room, a Spacy policeman presses the stop button on an audio cassette recorder.

"Take the tape to Colonel Bell," says the brig's OIC.


	9. Chapter 9

On Minami Iwo Jima Island, a large metallic figure does push-ups, of all things

On Minami Iwo Jima Island, a large metallic figure does push-ups, of all things. The veritech battloid bends its elbows and the edges of the feet are on the ground.

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!" yells U.N. Ocean Patrol Commander Archibald Cramer. "All right, I done my push ups."

Manipulating the levers and foot pedals, he moves the battloid's arms to pick up the 55mm GU-11 gunpod that he had put on the ground. The battloid walks up the hill, shooting at the targets that a Space Marine battalion had put there last night. Some of them are shaped like tanks; others are shaped like forty-foot tall men like what researcher believe the crew of Alien Star Ship One had looked like.

"Okay, I am done with the ground targets," says the test pilot. "Now let's do some skeet shooting."

A nearby Ocean Patrol cruiser fires clay targets into the air. Commander Cramer takes aim and fires the 55 millimeter rounds at the clay targets, shattering them.

"You missed a few, Commander," says Colonel Edwards.

"I guess I'd better practice my marksmanship, sir," replies Cramer.

"Now to conduct air-to-sea operations."

"Copy," says Cramer. He flips the "G" lever, and the head folds back ion, the fuselage folds out, and the legs move back until the veritech resembles a plane with arms and legs. Cramer then takes off, using the leg thrusters to provide lift and back thrusters to provide forward thrust.

"I can see the targets clear as day," he says. Making one pass, he fires the gunpod at the orange inflatable rafts floating on the Pacific Ocean, puncturing them. He then looks to his right, and sees a fleet of orange rafts. The commander gets an idea.

Instead of turning to the right, he aims the gunpod to the right and fires upon the rafts.

"Impressive, Cramer," says Edwards. "Let's return to base."

Cramer transforms the veritech into fighter mode. _We'll have to do this bloody thing at night, even tonight. _

Ooooooooo

Lieutenant Claudia Grant enters the room where her deposition is to be taken. It is an unpretentious room, as far as rooms go, with only one wooden table. The furniture is not where her attention is; her attention is on a blond-haired man in an orange jumpsuit.

"Welcome," says Captain Shang. "You are under penalty of perjury, and you will be required to answer all questions."

"I understand, sir," replies the lieutenant.

"State your name for the record."

"Claudia Grant."

"And what is your rank?"

"Second Lieutenant, United Nations Spacy."

"What is your current assignment?"

"I am a combat air controller assigned to this base under the command of Commander Richard Yamada."

"Have you met the defendant, Lieutenant Roy Fokker, before his arrest for murder?" asks the judge.

"Yes, sir," replies Claudia.

"When did you first meet him?"

"I first noticed him the first day I was assigned to the Laramie Air Station in Wyoming."

"What is your relationship with Lieutenant Fokker?"

Claudia looks at Roy. "It's complicated, sir. We know each other, and we've spoken together. I guess you can say we're friends."

"Do you know Abigail McGee?" asks Shang.

"No, sir," replies Claudia.

"Do you know Sadako Kakizaki?"

"No, sir."

"Do you know Sally Mayfield?"

"Yes, sir. She was an outgoing person. She was in the Womens' Club like I was."

"Have you ever met me or the trial or defense counsel before today?"

"No, sir."

"My questioning is done."

"Lieutenant Grant, did Lieutenant Fokker ever confess to killing Abigail McGee, Sadako Kakizaki, or Sally Mayfield?" asks Colonel Bell.

"No, ma'am," replies Claudia.

"Did Lieutenant Fokker confess to killing anyone?"

"I would not call it a confession, ma'am. He is a combat veteran; he has killed people before."

"Whom did he kill?"

"Enemy troops. He was a fighter pilot for the United States Navy during the war ten years ago."

"You spoke with him the night he was arrested, right?"

"Yes. We spoke about his fears about being a test pilot, about how the next time he goes up it might be the last for him."

"Are you sure it was not code for him worrying about being caught for his crimes?"

"It was not a code, Lieutenant Colonel."

"The night you were at the ball, was Lieutenant Fokker there?"

"Yes."

"And whom was he with?"

"He was with Lieutenant Sally Mayfield."

"Did you see Lieutenant Fokker leave?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Whom did he leave with?"

"Lieutenant Mayfield."

"No further questions."

"Defense counsel may begin," says Shang.

"What are your feelings for Lieutenant Roy Fokker?" asks Commander Elliot.

"I care about him," says Claudia.

"Is that all, Lieutenant Grant?"

She looks at Roy. "I love him."

Roy looks at her, staying silent.

"During your first date back in Wyoming, he came with a bunch of other girls, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And when you met him again here in Macross City, you came to return a bunch of gifts, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir. I was angry with him."

"So you loved Lieutenant Fokker, and yet you didn't like the attention he was giving other girls. He wasn't returning your affections, Lieutenant Grant. And you must have been disappointed when you saw him enter the ball with Sally Mayfield, isn't that correct?"

"This questioning is out of line!" yells Roy.

"Lieutenant Fokker, it is not wise to interrupt your defense counsel, especially if he is doing a good job," says Captain Shang.

"Sorry, your Honor," says Roy.

"Now answer the question, Lieutenant Grant," says Shang. "Were you disappointed when you saw the defendant with Sally Mayfield?"

"Yes, sir, I was," answers Claudia.

"So that anger is the reason you identified Fokker as the last person to be seen with Lieutenant Mayfield."

"Objection," says Colonel Bell. "Argumentative."

"Let me rephrase," says Elliot. "Isn't it true that your anger with Lieutenant Fokker was the reason you told the Spacy Police that he left with Lieutenant Mayfield?"

"No, sir. I did see him leave with Lieutenant Mayfield."

"Have you ever seen Lieutenant Fokker with either Abigail McGee or Sadako Kakizaki?"

"No, sir."

"No further questions."

"I have no questions," says Colonel Bell.

"Witness is excused," says Captain Shang.

Claudia leaves the room in a hurry. She knows she should get some sleep in the afternoon to prepare for the graveyard shift that Commander Yamada had assigned her.

She knows she will not feel like sleeping.

Oooooooo

The United Earth Ship _Prometheus_ is docked at its homeport, the United Nations Ocean Patrol Station in Macross City. Earlier today, the crew disembarked after returning from the ship's mission in supporting the U.N. peacekeeping operation in Africa. Sailors had come down to greet their families, and the CO gave a long speech.

As custom dictates, the CO and XO do not take shore leave until the end of the day shift. Ocean Patrol Commander Harrison Bauer, XO of the _Prometheus,_ steps down from the gangplank. His wife greets him and kisses him.

"Harry, so good to see you," she says.

"I was looking forward to this even after we left port," says Commander Bauer.

"Dad," says Zack. "Welcome back."

"When can we take a vacation, Daddy?" asks Natalie, Harrison Bauer's seven-year-old daughter.

"I still have things to take care of, but I can put in a vay-cay request to Fourth Fleet Command. School went okay for you two?"

"Yeah," replies Zack.

Harrison Bauer looks at his family. He is so grateful be here, he share this afternoon with them as a breeze from the Pacific Ocean kisses their cheeks. He briefly remembers those people who were lost in that terrorist bombing of the UN barracks not long ago.

_Let's go out to eat. I earned myself plenty of sea pay._

oooooo

Many hours later, Claudia downs another cup of Hawaiian coffee just to keep herself awake during the graveyard shift.

"Everything okay, ma'am?" asks a Spacy sergeant. "I could have Crewman Nguyen get you another cup of coffee."

"Everything's okay here," replies the lieutenant. "I don't need another cup now."

There had not been much activity during the graveyard shift, aside from Project Valkyrie conducting night test flights. Claudia supposes it is a little easier on her than the junior enlistees who have to keep watch on the radar screens.

After so many hours, another officer, a Spacy second lieutenant clad in service khakis who had transferred in just last week, appears.

"You're late," says Claudia.

"Sorry, ma'am," he replies.

"The commander will not be pleased."

Claudia signs a log and walks out. She is tired, and not just from having to work the graveyard shift in the tower. She feels like going home and sleeping until early afternoon, when she has to report back to duty.

She feels more like walking somewhere else. Her feet and feelings take her to the community center where the ball was held.

She can recall the testimony she had given in court, as well as her statement to the police. Pulling the handle on the glass door in the main entrance to the community center, she is not surprised to find that it is locked. She walks around the building, and to her surprise, she finds that the door leading to the kitchen is unlocked.

She walks through the dark kitchen, where the appetizers had been cooked. She feels her way to the main room where she had been not so long ago. Her footsteps echo, as the room is devoid of any furniture. She finds a light switch and the ceiling's fluorescent lamps reveal a large, empty room as she had expected. Walking to the reception area in front of the community center, she turns on more lights. All the decorations are gone as she expected, leaving only the front desk, a bulletin board with flyers and bulletins pinned to it, couches, and mirrors.

Claudia checks herself in one of the mirrors; the reflection shows just how tired she is.

But even with the exhaustion, she sees something and then comes up with an idea.

Ooooooo

The metallic debris falls through space towards Earth. Its trajectory will take it to the atmosphere, causing it to burn up.

Before it even makes contact with the molecules of the atmosphere, it is riddled with 55-millimeter rounds.

"That's another target," says U.N. Space Marine Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff, flying one of the prototype veritechs in orbit around Earth. While this is not his first space flight in the prototype veritech, nevermind his first space flight _period, _this is the first time he tested the veritech's weapons in the vacuum of space. "I have a couple of targets to my right flank." The fighter configuration can only fire forward, so Maistroff transforms the veritech into battloid configuration, then fires on the targets on the right flank.

_I never could have done this with a Hornet._

"Space Strike Eaglet to Base, I have destroyed all targets," says the test pilot.

"Head back to Macross City for combat data analysis," says Colonel Edwards.

"Copy that," replies Maistroff. After speaking with Earth Orbital Traffic Control, he prepares his entry into the atmosphere. The veritech is in its fighter configuration, with the belly facing down.

He watches the instruments carefully as the external temperature rises. He has had over a decade's worth of experience in atmospheric entry.

_At least we manage to get a better thermal ablative system through this robotechnology._

As the temperature goes up, the plane's speed relative to Earth decreases. The Space Marine colonel watches the navigation instruments.

He moves the control stick for a minor course adjustment, and then looks at the navigation instruments for a few seconds.

"Pacific Area Air Traffic Control, I have a problem," he says. "the stick is not responding. I can't adjust the control surfaces."

The canopy is covered by the heat shield, so Maistroff can not see anything outside. Still, the navigation instruments do not lie.

When the exterior starts to cool down a bit, Colonel Maistroff opens the heat shield, revealing the blue sky above. The airplane is still traveling at Mach 9.

He engages the reverse leg thrusters _gently_, to create a gradual slowdown, reducing lift and thus causing the plane to descend a little faster. A warning light indicates that the reverse thrusters are not functional.

_Something must have happened up there._

Down in Project Valkyrie's command center in Macross City, Major General Ahmadu Sako enters.

"Colonel Maistroff is having a problem, sir," says Colonel Edwards. "His leg thrusters and the control stick are apparently non-functional."

"Where is he now?" asks the general.

"Above the Pacific, heading due west. We're in contact with Pacific Traffic Control."

"Where is he going to land, Colonel Edwards?"

"We'll find out, sir."

Up in the air, Colonel Maistroff turns off all the switches.

_If it's a computer glitch, maybe turning everything back on will make everything right._

He turns all of the switches back on. The instrument panel lights up again.

The gauges show that the leg thrusters are not working.

For a second he panics. Then the veteran pilot breathes slowly to calm himself down. He is still forty miles above the Earth. Obviously, punching out is not an option. Switching to Guardian or Battloid would increase drag greatly, and at supersonic speeds would tear the veritech apart.

The staff of Project Valkyrie watches the situation in the control room.

"I've made some calculations, sir," says an Ocean Patrol petty officer, a Texas Instruments calculator in his hand. At his speed and rate of descent, he will crash somewhere between eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean."

"Africa," says General Sako. "Not all of Africa is controlled by U.N.-allied territory. A few renegade warlords have _de facto_ control over the borderlands."

High above the Indian Ocean, the prototype veritech plane continues its descent. Colonel Maistroff can see land ahead. He checks his navigational instruments.

_That must be eastern Africa_. Most of the coastline is lush green, with a few cities. He tries to restart the engines, and they still do not respond.

_I have to wait. I'm still going at supersonic speeds._

The airspeed indicator continues to drop due to drag. The Indian Ocean soon disappears from view.

_Okay, Victor, you won't be landing with your feet wet_.

Looking at the navigation instruments, he knows he will not make it to western Africa, fully controlled by forces allied with the United Nations. Eastern Africa has a much different geopolitical climate.

He looks at the airspeed indicator and the radar.

"This is the Ethiopian Air Force," says a voice. "We have detected you and are sending fighters to intercept Identify yourself."

"This is Uniform November flight call sign Space Strike Eaglet," says Maistroff. "I am having engine trouble. I can not maneuver."

"We copy," says the accented voice. "We are in contact with U.N. Pacific Command."

The airspeed and altitude continue to drop.

"Let's do it," says Maistroff.

_And hope the ship does not tear itself apart._

He pushes the "B" lever, and the veritech goes into battloid configuration. He engages the back thrusters. He feels the g-forces.

_It works._

"I'm all right," he says. "I will be touching down soon." He looks at the lush forest ahead, looming in faster.

"Wait," says the Ethiopian voice. "You are in disputed territory."

The ground appears closer and closer, until the test pilot hears a thud and feels a jerk. He looks around, wiggling his fingers and toes.

"What do you know?" he asks. "I am still alive."

"Stand by," says a voice. "We'll pick you up."

Colonel Maistroff moves the controls to get the battloid standing up.

The battloid does not respond.

_No use staying in here._ The head opens up, and Colonel Maistroff crawls out. The first thing he notices is that the air is hot. He feels even hotter due to the fact that he is wearing a flight suit over his service khakis. Beads of sweat form on his head.

He sees movement, silhouettes of people.

_They came fast._ "Over here!" he yells.

"Stop where you are!" yells an accented voice in English.

"Okay. I am United Nations, your ally."

Suddenly, several soldiers approach him, pointing AK-47's. The Space Marine colonel does not recognize the emblems on the sleeves.

A burlap sack is then placed on his head and he is knocked to the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

Lieutenant Roy Fokker hears footsteps on concrete as he lies down on the bunk in his cell.

"Lieutenant Fokker," says a male voice. "Your lawyer wants to have a word with you."

"Commander Elliot," says Roy. "Any news?"

"As you know, we finished the preliminary depositions," says Commander Elliot. They had deposed eleven witnesses. "Captain Shang has told me that there is enough evidence for the court-martial to continue. Jury selection will begin."

"I see," says Roy. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"That is all," says Elliot. "Unless there is something you wish to discuss with me."

"Not right now."

Elliot walks away. Roy lies down on his bunk, sunlight entering through thebarred window. There is not much else to do inside the brig.

He remembers what Colonel Bell told him about the Grave.

"It is a maximum-security disciplinary barracks deep under the Ural Mountains in Russia"

ooooooooo

Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff hears the rumbling of the truck stop, and he is yanked from the truck. He only sees darkness, as the burlap sack is still on his head.

We've been on the road for about three hours, so we're probably a hundred miles from where I crashed.

He is marched along a few more feet. He can feel that the ground is soft under his boots.

The burlap sack comes off. The Space Marine test pilot finds himself inside a wooden room, with compact fluorescent bulb lighting the room from atop the ceiling. Three men are in the room with him.

"Who are you?" asks one of the men in heavily accented English, a large caliber pistol in his holster.

"Maistroff, Lieutenant Colonel, United Nations Space Marines, 8828823.

"Why are you here?"

"Maistroff. Lieutenant Colonel, United Nations Space Marines, 8828823."

"So you are a prisoner of war."

Two other men brandishing AK-47 rifles escort Colonel Maistroff to this fenced-in area with one lone wooden bunkhouse. Several other uniformed men. A voice chants over loudspeakers.

"So you're a pilot," says one of the men.

"And you must be one of the U.N. peacekeepers captured last month," says Maistroff. He had heard news of U.N. peacekeepers taken as prisoners of war by some African warlord.

"The United Nations brings oppression to Africa, to Palestine, to the Balkans," says the voice. "It is run by international bankers, and its musclemen are brutal thugs who steal and kill."

"Propaganda," says Maistroff. "Sort of the kind that used to be played at the old DMZ in Korea before the Global Wars."

"They've been playing it since we were captured, sir," replies the man. "A few of us even defected."

"Defected to the enemy?"

"Let's face it, sir. There isn't that much patriotism for the U.N.. Most of the U.N. forces are practically mercenaries, in it for the pay, and this warlord offers more pay."

Maistroff nods. The vast majority of people are nationalistic; their hearts belong to their nation, not the United Nations. "I know these warlords are financed by diamond mines that they own a share in," says the colonel. "For me, my principle is Semper Fi. I'm a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, always faithful. And so I will remain faithful to the United Nations Space Marines, until such time my obligation is finished."

"For me, sir, defection means I can't go home again, without risking court-martial for desertion. I was in it for the money, as well as wanting to see more of the world."

"How do you like eastern Africa?"

"Hot, sir."

Ooooooooo

Lieutenant Claudia Grant buttons up the last button on her service khakis. She had sort of slept, after finishing that graveyard shift and visiting the community center.

Before leaving for the tower, she picks up a telephone.

"Is Zack there?" she asks. "Tell him it's Vince's sister…Hello?"

"Lieutenant Grant," says Zack Bauer. "Hi."

"Vince told me you were good with computers. Can you magnify and enhance still video images?"

"Of course I can. Why?"

"I have to go to work now. Vince and I will be seeing you after I get off."

Oooooooo

"I understand your concern," says the U.N. Army colonel.

"One of my test pilots went down over Africa, and he's now a P.O.W.," says Major General Ahmadu Sako, speaking on the telephone while sitting behind his desk.

"I do understand your concern, sir," replies the colonel, who is speaking from the United Nations Special Operations Command Headquarters. "We don't know where the P.O.W.'s are being held, and we don't have enough troops to comb every square inch of Africa. We would rescue the P.O.W.'s if we could."

"I understand."

Ever since Colonel Maistroff had been reported to be a P.O.W., General Sako had been speaking with the staffs of the U.N. High Command and the U.N. Special Operations Command to get some action taken.

I don't have a Space Marine division under my command, just some test pilots and technicians.

He looks at his itinerary, he is scheduled for a trip. Maybe there is something that he can do.

He then brings his mind to the progress of the robotech development projects under his command. And yet in the background, he remembers when he had been a U.S. Marine back when he lived in America. He remembered that Marines never leave their own behind.

Oooooooooo

The doorbell rings. Ocean Patrol Commander Harrison Bauer walks up and looks through the peephole. He sees a man and a woman in service khakis and a teenage boy.

"Yes?" he asks.

"Is Zack here, sir?" asks the boy. "I'm his friend, Vince. This is my sister, Lieutenant Claudia Grant."

"Nice to meet you, sir," says Claudia. "Nice house you're billeted in."

"It is a privilege of being a commander," says Commander Bauer.

"I am Commander Elliot," says the man in the uniform. "I'm an attorney with the Spacy JAG."

"A lawyer?"

"Hi, Vince," says Zack. "This is my dad, Commander Harrison Bauer."

Vince and the commander shake hands. There is some resemblance to Zack's, the same blond hair, at least. "Zack, could you help us magnify and enhance a video image."

"Of course. I have the equipment right here."

"This has to do with a case you're working on?" asks Commander Bauer.

"Yes," replies Commander Elliot. "I think something was overlooked. Lieutenant Grant brought it to my attention today."

Zack turns on a Dell personal computer. In a minute the computer is booted up. "First, I have to scan the video feed into a file." Zack inserts the videotape into a Sony VCR and activates a computer program. A few minutes later, he says, "It's done."

Claudia looks at the video footage from the ball, when Lieutenant Sally Mayfield had last been seen. "Could you fast forward it to about 0030?"

"Sure," says Zack. He fast forwards it, and watches the video of the guests, all dressed in formal dress uniforms.

"That's her," says Claudia. "That's Sally Mayfield." She looks at the clear image of the red-haired lieutenant. The time stamp is 0044. She speaks with a tall man with blond hair under the cap. She then turns around and she leaves with the man. The time stamp is 0045.

"Pause," says Claudia, and Zack pauses. She looks at Sally, whose back is turned to the camera. She looks at the man Sally is leaving with. She takes a closer look.

"Look there," says Claudia.

"What?" asks Commander Elliot.

"See the rank markings on that man's uniform? One inch and one half inch; that's a second lieutenant, and Roy is a first lieutenant."

"How could we have missed that?" asks Elliot.

How could I have missed that? Claudia asks herself silently, knowing that she initially reported that Roy left with Sally.

"So we know Roy didn't leave with her," says Vince.

"Rewind a little bit," says Claudia. Zack rewinds the video a few seconds back. "See that mirror over there."

"I could magnify and then enhance," says Zack. He saves the still image, and then zooms it up using another program. A blurred image is seen on the mirror. "Now to enhance it." The image becomes clearer.

"Definitely not Roy," says Claudia.

"Maybe you can look in the image in BUPERS," suggests Commander Bauer. The four of them look behind, seeing Zack's dad looking at them.

"BUPERS?" asks Zack.

"Spacy Bureau of Personnel," says Commander Elliot.

Zack access the Spacy BUPERS web site. The home page has a seal, and the title **UNITED NATIONS SPACY BUREAU OF PERSONNEL**. Checking the links, he finds a page for facial recognition.

"I've entered the image." Images rapidly flash. "I have a hit."

"I'll contact Captain Shang, Colonel Bell, and Detective Fantone," says Elliot.

Oooooooo

The office has a large view of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. The floor is covered in a deep blue carpet. In the back is a wooden desk, with two flags behind it.

"That is good," says United Earth Forces Supreme Commander Yamamoto, sitting in the leather seat behind the desk.

"I do have one request, sir," says Major General Ahmadu Sako, who is visiting the UEF headquarters located in the United Nations headquarters in New York City. "One of the test pilots for the veritech project, Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff, is a P.O.W. in eastern Africa after an aborted test flight." He hands the supreme commander some files. "We've been testing the veritech's combat capabilities, and they are exceptional."

"Except for Maistroff crashing in eastern Africa and being captured by a renegade warlord," says Yamamoto.

"The veritechs will be useful in mounting a rescue operation."

"I will speak to my staff and the commanders about it," says Supreme Commander Yamamoto. "I thank you for your time here and your briefing us on the development of robotechnology. Dismissed, General."

Sako stands up, and then turns around.

Oooooooo

The Spacy construction workers inside Alien Star Ship One work hard as ever in their attempt to make this space fortress spaceworthy again. The interior is filled with the sounds of hammers and drills and power tools.

A few people wearing hard hats and goggles walk in.

"Is a Second Lieutenant Seifriet Weisse here?" asks Detective Bruno Fantone, his hard hat and goggles incongruous with his suit.

"Yes?" asks a tall man with blond hair who is clad in overalls.

"Detective Bruno Fantone, MCPD," says the detective. "I've a few questions. Were you at the ball recently?"

"Yes, I was," replies Weisse.

"and you wore your dress whites there?"

"I certainly wouldn't wear these overalls."

"And you wouldn't wear dress whites here. I mean, the oil and dust."

"Of course I wouldn't wear dress whites here."

"You know, it's funny. We searched your quarters, Lieutenant Weisse. Your dress whites had a few stains on it."

"Food stains."

"Some of them were food stains. Other stains were oil and grease. We sent your dress whites and dress shoes to the OCI crime lab in Seoul, and guess what? The oil is not consistent with what is used in cars or planes. In fact, it's of extraterrestrial origin. It's consistent with the oil found here on Alien Star Ship One. We also took another look at the video footage, and you left with Sally Mayfield. Seifriet Weisse, you are under arrest for lying to police. I wonder what else we'll find."

"Okay, then," says Weisse, holding his hands up. "I guess you'll have to take me in."

He then vanishes into the shadows.

"Where did he go?" asks one of the Spacy policemen.

"There's a hole here," says Detective Fantone. He crawls inside, and finds himself inside this crawlspace of some sort. It feels to be about three feet wide. He can hear sounds ahead, probably Lieutenant Weisse crawling through it.

The detective emerges out of the crawl space and into a dark area.

"Stop right there!" he yells, his voice echoing.

From the echoing he figures he must be in a very wide and tall corridor. He can see an outline of a railing; he appears to be on some sort of balcony above the corridor.

A giant can fit through this hallway.

He hears a ping sound, which he instantly recognizes as a bullet ricocheting of something. He takes out his Colt Python revolver and fires a shot in return. He hears more footsteps.

The chase continues through the empty corridors of Alien Star Ship One, away from the construction areas. Lieutenant Weisse is annoyed. He is able to stay a few steps ahead of the police, but can not get clear away. Every step he takes gives away his position like a sonar buoy on the ocean, as if the ship itself magnifies every sound. He knows the inside of the alien ship better than anyone; he had explored it in his spare time, finding the perfect place to store his relics.

And now it comes down to this.

Hiding in a dark corner- of which there was plenty- is not an option. He has to make sure he has a way out.

He finally stops, catching his breath.

I can wait here. This is a perfect place, and there is a way out.

Just as his breathing slows down, he hears more footsteps. The police are coming in close. Running would give away his position; staying here would definitely leave him captured.

My babies.

He starts running.

""After him!" yells Detective Fantone, breathing heavily from all the running.

At least I got my workout today. What is that smell?

He uses the flashlight and sees a pyramid of skulls on display. Moving the beam, the detective illuminates a display of ribcages. He quickly pushes the images out of his mind, concentrating on the footsteps echoing through the room.

"Secure this crime scene," he says to one of the Spacy policemen. Detective Fantone and a few of the Spacy policemen continue to chase Seifriet Weisse. Each and every muscle cell in his legs and buttocks are pushed to the limit as he chases the murder suspect, the burning sensation building up in his calves.

Weisse gets down on his knees and crawls through yet another crawlspace. He bangs his hard hat against the hard surface of the ceiling of the crawlspace, making a clanging sound.

Half the ship must have heard that.

He can see a light ahead.

He emerges out into one of the construction areas inside the ship. Overhead lights illuminate the place, and construction workers and engineers all work below to examine the alien equipment inside the room.

Lieutenant Weisse looks along the elevated walkway. It leads to stairs, which lead to a set of catwalks right up in the ceiling.

I can get up into an air duct up there. Those guys below have no idea that I'm running from the police.

"Stop right there!" yells Detective Fantone as he comes out of the crawlspace. "This is the police! You're under arrest!"

Doesn't this guy give up? thinks Weisse as he is walking up the stairs.

He pulls something from his pocket, something he had retrieved from his own chamber of horrors. He pulls the pin on the fragmentation grenade.

Bruno Fantone sees the round object in Weisse's hand.

"Grenade!" he yells, his voice echoing. "Get down!"

He has but one chance.

Pulling out his Colt Python, he pulls back the hammer and squeezes the trigger.

A round exists the Python's barrel at high speed.

Lieutenant Weisse falls over the railing. A few seconds later, the grenade explodes, the sound echoing through the huge room.

Detective Fantone gets up, feeling himself with his hands. "Is everyone okay?" he asks.

"Yeah," replies Spacy Lieutenant Commander Tariq Rantisi. "We're all okay." The commander looks at his men, they nod silently.

He climbs down a ladder to the floor. "Everyone okay down here?" asks the provost marshal. "Anyone need medical attention."

"We are fine, sir," says Spacy Master Space Sergeant Jean Francaix.

"I just hope ze explosion didn't break anything in the hyperspace fold drive," says Dr. Emil Lang. "Ve vouldn't know how to fix it."

Ooooooooo

The ball inside the Bic ballpoint pen leaves a trail of ink on the paper. The pen drops onto the steel table as Lieutenant Roy Fokker lets it go. A door opens, letting in sunshine. He walks out, placing a billed cap on his head. He wears the white Class "C" Spacy service uniform instead of the orange jumpsuit he had been wearing the past few days. His defense counsel, Commander Elliot, is with him.

Walking out of the side entrance of the brig, he stops and salutes his commanding officer, Major General Ahmadu Sako. Three other uniformed persons accompany Sako.

"First Lieutenant Roy Fokker reporting for duty, sir," says Roy.

"Come with me, Lieutenant Fokker," replies the general. "You have work to do."

Oooooooo

The Honda Accord waits at the white curb at Macross City International Airport. Buses and taxis and other vehicle drive along the three-lane road servicing the lone terminal.

Maribel Beckett walks to her husband, with her children in tow.

"I came to talk to you, Angus," she says.

"Our first order of business is to see a marriage counselor, Maribel," replies Angus Beckett. "Before we discuss anything else. I've made the appointment as well as the babysitting arrangements."

Ooooooo

The Spacy Chaplain Corps offers marriage counseling services for servicemen stationed in Spacy and Space Marine bases. One such marriage counseling session is inside a small room. The room has a soft carpet, leather furniture, and wooden bookcases to make the setting more homely.

"I'm afraid that the next time Angus goes up, he won't back down alive," says Maribel, sitting down on the leather couch.

"Do you feel that way, Angus?" asks the marriage counselor, a forty-year-old Spacy chaplain with the rank of first lieutenant, clad in service khakis.

"Of course," replies Angus. "It is a dangerous job."

"So why do it?" asks Maribel.

"Maribel, I'm one of the most experienced combat pilots. I have a duty to test out new fighters for the next generation, the generation that will fight for our children and their children."

"I don't want to lose you and leave our children without a father."

"So leaving him is a better option?" asks the chaplain. "By leaving him, you will lose him and your children will be without a father. So maybe it is not about losing him as it is about losing control. We all desire control, and fear which we can not control. But we are only human. Did you lose someone beyond your control?"

"My dad died when I was fifteen," says Maribel.

"How did he die, Maribel?" asks her husband. "If you don't tell the chaplain, I will."

"He…he committed suicide. I found him."

"And you blame yourself, right?" asks the chaplain.

"If I could have gotten to him sooner, I could have saved his life."

"So you blame yourself, not because it was your fault, but…"

"I wanted to believe that I was in control."

"You weren't in control," says Angus. "You could not have had any control. I know how important it is to have control. I might be given a command someday. I can only hope I know the limits of how much control I have."

Maribel holds Angus's hand. "Let's go."


	11. Chapter 11

Mace's Burgers is located on the ground floor of an office building near the Macross City Civic Center. All seating is outdoor, with several tables outside with umbrellas sticking on the top. It is not crowded, though it will be packed in about an hour.

"Bruno," says Chief Scott Bernard, dipping a French fry into a little cup full of catsup. "Any news?"

"We found the bodies, Chief," says Detective Bruno Fantone, sitting down on the table. "The ….remains were found inside the spaceship?"

"Inside the spaceship?"

"Yeah. Some kid took a second look at the security videos, and we ID'd a Lieutenant Seifriet Weisse, who's a construction officer assigned to the ship. We sent his dress uniform over to the OCI lab, and when they told us the uniform had oil and grease from the ship, we came to arrest him. He led us on this chase and I shot him when he was about to chuck a grenade."

"Is he dead?" asks the police chief.

"No," replies the detective. "He's in the hospital now; he's blind and his legs were amputated. He was charged with at least seven counts of murder."

"Seven counts?"

"At least seven individual bodies were identified. We're trying to find out whom they are; we already confirmed that Sadako Kakizaki was among them."

"And what about that test pilot you arrested?"

"Lieutenant Fokker was released; there's no evidence connecting him to Weisse."

"Anything else?" asks Bernard.

"I'm gonna get something to eat." Fantone gets up and walks to the window to order his lunch.

Ooooooooo

First Lieutenant Roy Fokker stands at attention inside Project Valkyrie's briefing room along with the other test pilots. Memories of his time in the brig and the court-martial hearings are already happened. He had heard about what happened when he was unavailable.

Major General Ahmadu Sako and his staff all enter.

"Gentlemen," he says. "As you know, Lieutenant Colonel Maistroff was taken prisoner by a renegade militia after he crashed in eastern Africa. Intelligence reports indicate that he is being held in a P.O.W. camp on the Ethiopian side of the border between Ethiopia and Somalia. SupCom has authorized a rescue mission, and we have decided to provide assistance with our veritechs. We request volunteers."

All of the pilots step forward. "We volunteer, sir."

"We have plenty of pilots, but only three planes available," says the Space Marine general. "I choose Commander Cramer to lead the veritech strike team, and he shall choose the other two."

"Fokker and Beckett are with me," says the Ocean Patrol commander.

"During the mission, you will be given TAD under UNSOCOM," says Sako. "Suit up and prepare to move out."

"So we go into combat in these veritechs," says Roy.

"It'll be a blast, mate," says Commander Archibald Cramer.

"At least on the enemy's side," says Major Angus Beckett.

Oooooooo

The Project Valkyrie ground crews prepare the prototype veritechs for the combat mission, checking the engines and transformation systems and inspecting the weapons like the lasers and the GU-11 gunpods and the air-to-air missiles. The order for takeoff is at 1700.

Roy climbs up the ladder into the cockpit of his veritech. He had not seen action since those enemy skirmishes near Wyoming about four years ago. He checks the instruments of the veritech.

"Valkyrie Three," says the Spacy lieutenant, "I am ready to go."

He waits for the tower to give the go-ahead.

"Valkyrie Three, this is Macross Tower," says Second Lieutenant Claudia Grant. "Taxi into position near Runway 2."

"Copy that," says Roy. He taxis the veritech fighter onto a taxiway, stopping short of the concrete runway.

"Valkyrie Three, you are cleared for takeoff on Runway 2," says Claudia.

"Copy," says Roy.

"Good hunting," says Claudia, giving Roy a salute.

Roy returns the salute, and then he looks at the runway ahead. He pushes the throttle at full speed, and the leg thrusters increase thrust, increasing airspeed and generating lift. Soon, Roy is flying high above the Pacific Ocean.

"Okay, gentlemen," says Commander Cramer. "Follow my lead."

The three veritechs are on a sub orbital course, going high above Earth, to descend in the eastern area of Africa. Roy looks out of his cockpit and can see the curvature of the Earth. He can identify Japan and the Indochina peninsula and can see the concentrations of lights that mark the location of major cities.

_Nothing like a sub orbital flight_.

"Valkyrie Team, this is Hawkeye," hears Roy. "We will transmit the coordinates into your combat computer."

"Copy," says Roy.

"You will be entering disputed territory. Do not attack until you get the signal."

"Copy."

The three veritechs continue their descent towards Earth, every surface feature starting to appear larger and larger. The three test pilots recall the briefing. A UN Army special ops team will be on the ground. They would fire up a colored flare, which would mark the location of the P.O.W. camp.

"ETA to target six minutes," says Cramer.

They reach the coordinates six minutes later. Per their briefing, the three veritechs maintain a holding pattern at around fifteen thousand feet. All of them are on the lookout for the flare.

Suddenly, there is a flash of green.

"We have a green light," says Commander Cramer. "I repeat, this is Valkyrie Team. We see a green light."

"Green light is the mark," says the SOCOM colonel aboard the AWACS. "Move in."

"Okay," says Cramer. "I will switch to Guardian and keep an eye at one thousand feet. You two switch to battloid and approach the coordinates."

"Copy," says Roy.

"Copy," says Angus Beckett.

Roy descends and flips the "B" lever. The veritech changes its configuration to a humanoid shape, brandishing its gunpod. They land on the ground, and the tall trees provide concealment.

"It's thick down here," says Beckett as he walks the veritech along the ground of the tropical forest.

"The target is there," says Cramer. "One hundred yards ahead."

They could easily destroy the base, but there are United Nations P.O.W.'s there, including Colonel Maistroff.

"I'm marking the targets for you," says Commander Cramer. "We'll have to take out of the radio tower first."

Aside from combat lasers, the veritechs were equipped with targeting lasers in the event that they would be used for forward observation in support of artillery and bombing attacks.

"I see the radio antenna," says Beckett. He squeezes the trigger on the stick.

A burst of 55 millimeter ammunition shoots from the gunpod, destroying the antenna and taking off the roof of the building.

The guards are immediately alerted, and some of them clutch their weapons. The spotlights at the guard towers are turned on, as they look for whatever had destroyed the radio shack.

Roy has a visual on the guard towers, and he fires the gunpod at the guard towers, destroying the spotlights. He and Beckett then enter the yard of the P.O.W. camp, looking menacing in their battloids.

"All of you surrender!" yells Major Beckett. "You can not win."

"What the hell is that?" asks one of the U.N. P.O.W's, seeing the 42-foot-tall suits of armor.

"Our ticket out of here," says Lieutenant Colonel Victor Maistroff.

Indeed, the surviving guards walk out, with their hands up.

"How did they sneak those things here?" asks the prison commander. He knows about destroids; he also knows that the only ground access to the camp is on a muddy road.

He also knows that the limited ground access would prevent reinforcements from getting here in time.

"The area is secure," says Commander Cramer.

Half an hour later, the guards and prisoners- their roles reversed- hear the thup-thup-thup of helicopters. The helicopters reveal themselves- Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks, Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Lows, and Sikorsky Sea Sergeants. Most of them are Ethiopian helicopters carrying Ethiopian auxiliaries, one of the Black Hawks and Pave Lows carry U.N. troops.

"Is everyone all right?" asks a U.N. medic.

"No one seems to be dying except a few of the enemy," says Colonel Maistroff, glancing at the others he had known for the past few days.

"We'll get you out, sir," he says.

"They go first," says Maistroff. "I don't leave until they do."

"And we won't leave until all of our people are away," says Commander Cramer, speaking from the veritech hovering above them in its Guardian configuration, drawing stares from a few of the U.N. soldiers.

"The High Command approved of those things?" he asks, though he knows that the pilots would not be able to hear him.

Ooooooooo

"We have finished our testing of the prototype veritechs," says General Sako, addressing his staff and his test pilots. "We have all worked hard, giving some, and some of us gave all. I have submitted my final report to the United Nations High Command. Project Valkyrie is hereby concluded. Dismissed!"

"What do we do now?" asks Lieutenant Eddie Marsden.

"How about we get ourselves a bloody drink?" suggests Commander Archibald Cramer. "In celebration of a job well done."

Oooooo

"So what now?" asks Maribel Beckett, looking up at her husband.

"I'll go wherever the Space Marines send me," says Beckett. "Maybe I'll be posted on the moon, or on Mars."

"They have family housing on the moon; there's a civilian community there. It would be nice to look up at the sky and see Earth."

"It would be a hassle going from there to Earth just for a vacation."

"Well, I should tell you," says Maribel, lying in the bed. "I'm pregnant. There's another bun in the oven."

Angus smiles at his wife as he settles on top of her. "I like making babies in your belly."

Oooooooo

The fork's prongs catch a pineapple chunk and then put it inside a mouth. Roy Fokker chews and swallows.

"How do you like my pineapple salad?' asks Claudia.

"It's the greatest," says Roy. "And I mean it; I'm not just saying it to get on your good side."

"You can't go wrong going on my good side."

Roy had come over here at Claudia's request. It is just the two of them; Lisa has the graveyard shift and Vince is out with his friends from school. Pineapple salad was the only thing that Claudia could make at short notice.

Roy walks out to the front door.

"Leaving so soon?" asks Claudia.

"I'd like you to come here," he says.

She joins him just outside the front door. It is dark, and a few stars are visible. Alien Star Ship One rises just a few hundred feet away.

"We will go up on that ship someday, Claudia," says Roy. "Up to the stars."


End file.
